In 1091 the relics of St. Theodosius Pechersky moved to the church of the Assumption.Even before the event, 10 years after the death of the monk, his student Nestor was written a detailed life, and thus the memory was left to follow the believers in future centuries.Theodosius Pechersky - founder of Russian asceticism.All Russian monks anyway oriented their spiritual lives by the direction given to them.
Childhood Theodosius
elder boy at birth prophetically gave him the name of Theodosius, which means "God given".Holy Palestinian land where Jesus walked when incarnated on earth, from early childhood attracted the child Theodosius.In the end, the boy ran away, tempted by the stories of strangers.The attempt was unsuccessful, as follows.In general, in the life of the saint, we see a large volume describing his childhood more than the other saints.
history, youth, Theodosius is gentle fight with my mom for a spiritual calling, torture, handed down to them trying to escape three times.About his childhood writes that the boy spent much time in church, with children in the street did not play the game, the two sides of children's companies.Theodosius Pechersky sought sciences and quickly learned the grammar, causing surprise reason and wisdom.Bibliophile boy remained throughout his life and was manifested when he wrote the book in the convent day and night.
"Hudost Reese"
Another interesting feature of the childhood of Theodosius, which, given its religiosity, takes on new meaning, were wearing bad clothes darned.The parents gave him a clean new clothes and asked to wear it, but it's the only thing the young man did not listen.Further, when on duty, he had worn bright and clean clothes, he wore them with a heavy heart, a few days giving to the poor.Sam dressed in old and patched."The thin robe" does not occupy the last place in the life of the monk, showing his extraordinary humility since childhood.Theodosius Crypt childhood love hudost Reese, made it part of their life behavior and handed it across the Russian asceticism.
When his father died, Theodosius chose to exploit a new simplification and humiliation he went with the servants on the field and humbly worked with them, thus showing his ascetic ingenuity.
image of the mother of Theodosius
When Theodosius made his third escape, he came to Kiev, to the cave of St Anthony.The elder did not want to take his student years in his youth, and Theodosius returned home.After that, it was a dramatic meeting with his mother, a full truth of life.Imperious despotism maternal love makes Theodosius not severity, and lack of confidence in their abilities and shy.From defeated in this fight, he turns into a winner.As a result, he did not return to his mother, and she takes vows in one of Kyiv's monasteries.
monastic writings
Nestor when he wrote The Life of Theodosius of the Caves, loved to tell more than to describe, so the individual exploits of Theodosius and his spiritual image and write a little in different parts of the story.Combining these scattered facts, you can make the concept of the ascetic life of St. Theodosius.About the toughest feats of self-mortification of his body is written in the annals of the early years of his cave life.At night, fighting the temptations of the flesh, exposing Reverend gives your body mosquitoes and gadflies, while singing psalms.In later life Theodosius evident desire for neglecting of the body.Concealing his penance, he wore a hair shirt, slept sitting on a chair, prayed hard nights.Relatively small ascetic exercises Theodosius Pechersky up for the continuity of their labors.Since childhood, strong and sturdy, he works for himself and for others.Being in the monastery abbot Varlaam when he night grinds grain for the entire monastic brotherhood.And still later, Theodosius, abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk, he often took up an ax to chop firewood or water from the well to coach instead of sleeping or resting.
spiritual life Theodosius Pechersky
Many pages rather extensive life of the saint dedicated to his work and active life, balancing feats of the spiritual life.Prayer he gives all night.Exceptionally prayer given during Lent, which Reverend spent alone in a cave.Nestor does not show any prayers or miraculous qualities of high contemplation.Prayer helped Theodosius find the perfect fearlessness in the face the dark forces and allowed to assist their students in getting rid of the demonic visions of the night.
Theodosius, abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk
In the spiritual life of Theodosius was a very important milestone for him - he put an end to the monastery in the caves, based Anthony.After the abbot Barlaam founded on the ground the first wooden church, Theodosius put the cell above the cave, which remain to Anthony and a few hermits.Silence and contemplation close it detracts from the cave for the sake of work and fraternal life to build a kind of harmony.In this harmony of sounds and personal notes of humility, meekness, obedience.Theodosius Crypt, as the Nestor, with all its spiritual wisdom was simple mind."Thin garments" that accompany it during abbacy, bring on a lot of ridicule.
noted the story of the prince's servant, who received one of the Monk for the needy and ordered him to change from a horse wagon.The social humiliation and simplification were childhood one of the features of his holiness.Placed at the head of the monastery, Theodosius did not change his nature.With its tihosti and self-abasement, he was very much teaches sermons that are easy to form and content.Theodosius also tries to observe monastic regulations to detail in all its details and desires that all was done according to the order and reverence.However, with all its demands Theodosius did not like to resort to punishment.He was gentle, even to those who are fleeing, returning with repentance.The only certain way of rigor was in respect of economic affairs of the monastery.
St. Theodosius Pechersky
Nestor describes cellarer Fyodor stories about how the holy abbot of the monastery saved from the different needs.These miracles along with the gift of foresight - the only ones who creates holy Theodosius of Kiev.Through all the wonders Igumen passes ban saint worry about tomorrow, his lavish charity.For example, filling bins miraculous happens in the order of natural laws: while the economy as a monastery despair from thoughts of what to cook dinner or where to find wine for the liturgy, an unknown benefactor brings the wagons to the monastery wine and bread.From the life of the saint gives the impression that there is only monastery by alms unfailing stream.
St. Theodosius cares very much about poverty charter - takes away all the excess of kelyam victuals, clothes and burn it all in the oven.Also, it comes with everything that has been done without the blessing.Forgiving and kind abbot becomes severe when disobedience, which is derived from economic calculation.It is remarkable that he's not punishing the guilty, but only destroys wealth, which he believed imbibed demonic greed and willfulness.
Charity of St. Theodosius
Being gentle and merciful, always and everywhere, applies equally to the robbers, who came to rob his monastery, or sinful and weak monks, St. Theodosius Pechersky not only his monastery isolated from the world, but alsoestablished close ties with the secular society.This is one of its covenants Russian monasticism.
Near the monastery was built a home for the blind, the lame and the sick in the name of the church of St.Stephen.On the content of the almshouse was one tenth of the total income of the monastery.On Saturdays, Theodosius sent a cartload of bread in the city for the prison population.
Saint Theodosius was the spiritual father of many of the laity, including princes and boyars, who came to confess their sins.He started the tradition of the spiritual fathers of choice among the friars.Since that time, the clergy began to have more influence on the moral condition of the people.
quiet and gentle mentor could be a solid and unrelenting in cases where it was a truth abused.One of the last stories Nestor tells of his intercession for the wronged widow who came to him for help and, without knowing it in a shabby dress, spoke about her distress.
whistleblowers St. Theodosius
intolerance of injustice abbot leads to clashes not only with the judges, but with the princes.His spiritual confrontation with Prince Svyatoslav, the picture in the Life, completes the spiritual portrait of Theodosius, and is a symbol of the Church's relationship to the state of Ancient Russia.When the two older brothers expelled from the Kiev throne, and seize the city name on the feast of Theophanes, he refuses and denounces brothers the sins of murder and illegal possession of power, Prince Svyatoslav compares with Cain and his brother Abel.As a result, Prince Svyatoslav comes to anger.Rumors about exile Theodosius.
Svyatoslav could not raise their hand against the righteous, and in the end, come humbly to the monastery to Theodosius with the attempt to make peace.Many times, the righteous Theodosius tried unsuccessfully to pray Svyatoslav reconciled with his brother, trying to reach the hearts of the prince of Kiev.In the monastery, he tells everyone to pray for a legitimate exiled prince, and only after repeated requests fraternity agrees to remember that in second place and Svyatoslav.
Life of St. Theodosius shows that the saint was ready for the truth to go into exile and death, love and obey the laws of life expediency.He considered it his duty to teach the princes, and their duty - to obey his teachings.But Theodosius stands in relation to the princes, not as having authority, and as the embodiment of Christ's gentle strength.Prayer Theodosius calls for unwavering piety of souls and bodies, help and intercession, piety major parties of the country.
That was Theodosius, holistic living a spiritual life, pouring the Light of Christ from the depths of his soul, measured out the evangelical measure of deeds and virtue.So he stayed in the memory of Russian asceticism, such life of Theodosius of the Caves.
