Saint Macarius the Great, of Egypt, was born in the village of Ptinapor, in Lower Egypt. At the request of his parents, he married, but soon became a widow. After burying his wife, Macarius said to himself: "Take heed, Macarius, and take care of your soul, for you too will have to leave earthly life." The Lord rewarded his saint with a long life, but the memory of death has been with him ever since, forcing him to labors of prayer and repentance. He began to visit the temple of God more often and delve into the Holy Scriptures, but he did not leave his elderly parents, fulfilling the commandment to honor parents. After the death of his parents, the Monk Macarius ("Macarius" - from Greek means blessed) distributed the remaining estate in remembrance of his parents and began to earnestly pray that the Lord would show him a mentor on the path of salvation. The Lord sent him such a leader in the person of an experienced old monk who lived in the desert, not far from the village. The elder received the young man with love, instructed him in the spiritual science of vigil, fasting and prayer, and taught him needlework - weaving baskets. Having built a separate cell not far from his own, the elder placed his disciple in it.

Once a local bishop arrived in Ptinapor and, having learned about the virtuous life of the monk, appointed, against his will, a cleric of the local church. However, the blessed Macarius was weary of breaking the silence, and therefore he secretly went to another place. The enemy of salvation began a stubborn struggle with the ascetic, trying to frighten him, shaking his cell and suggesting sinful thoughts. Blessed Macarius repulsed the attacks of the demon, guarding himself with prayer and the sign of the cross. Evil people raised up a scolding against the saint, slandering the girls from the nearby village in the seduction. They pulled him out of his cell, beat him, mocked him. Saint Macarius bore the temptation with great humility. He resignedly sent the money received for his baskets to feed the girl. The innocence of blessed Macarius was revealed when the maiden, having suffered for many days, could not give birth. Then she confessed in agony that she had slandered the hermit, and pointed out the real culprit of the sin. When her parents learned the truth, they were amazed and intended to go to the blessed one with repentance, but the Monk Macarius, avoiding disturbance from people, retired from those places at night and moved to the Nitrian mountain in the Faran desert. Thus, human malice contributed to the prosperity of the righteous. After living three years in the wilderness, he went to Saint Anthony the Great, the father of Egyptian monasticism, whom he had heard about while still living in the world, and was burning with the desire to see him. The Monk Abba Anthony lovingly received Blessed Macarius, who became his devoted disciple and follower. The Monk Macarius lived with him for a long time, and then, on the advice of the holy abba, he retired to the Skete desert (in the northwestern part of Egypt) and there he shone so brightly with his exploits that they began to call him "old man", because, having barely reached thirty years of age, he showed himself to be an experienced, mature monk.

Saint Macarius experienced many attacks of demons: once he was carrying palm branches from the desert for weaving baskets, the devil met him on the way and wanted to hit the saint with a sickle, but he could not do this and said: “Macarius, I suffer great sorrow from you, because that I cannot defeat you, you have a weapon with which you repel me, this is your humility." When the saint was 40 years old, he was ordained a priest and appointed rector (abba) of the monks who lived in the Skete desert. During these years, the Monk Macarius often visited Great Anthony, receiving instructions from him in spiritual conversations. Blessed Macarius was honored to be present at the death of the holy abba and inherited his staff, with which he received the purely spiritual power of the Great Anthony, just as the prophet Elisha once received from the prophet Elijah the divine grace along with the mantle that fell from heaven.

Saint Macarius performed many healings, people flocked to him from different places for help, advice, asking for his holy prayers. All this violated the solitude of the saint, so he dug a deep cave under his cell and retired there for prayer and contemplation. The Monk Macarius attained such boldness in walking before God that, through his prayer, the Lord resurrected the dead. Despite such heights of attained God-likeness, he continued to maintain extraordinary humility. One day the holy abba found a thief in his cell, who was loading his belongings onto a donkey standing by the cell. Without giving the appearance that he was the owner of these things, the monk silently began to help to tie up the load. Having released him in peace, the blessed one said to himself: "We have brought nothing into this world, it is clear that we cannot take anything away from here either. May the Lord be blessed in everything!"

Once the Monk Macarius was walking through the desert and, seeing a skull lying on the ground, he asked him: "Who are you?" The skull replied: "I was the chief pagan priest. When you, abba, pray for those in hell, we get some relief." The monk asked: "What are these torments?" “We are in a great fire,” answered the skull, “and we do not see each other. When you pray, we begin to see each other a little, and this serves as some consolation to us.” Hearing such words, the monk shed tears and asked: "Is there any more cruel torment?" The skull answered: "Below, deeper than us, are those who knew the Name of God, but rejected Him and did not keep His commandments. They endure even more severe torments."

Once, while praying, blessed Macarius heard a voice: "Macarius, you have not yet reached such perfection as the two women living in the city." The humble ascetic, taking his staff, went into the city, found a house where women lived, and knocked. The women received him with joy, and the monk said: "For your sake I have come from a distant desert and I want to know about your good deeds, tell about them without hiding anything." The women answered with surprise: "We live with our husbands, we don't have any virtues." However, the saint continued to insist, and then the women told him: “We married brothers. During the entire time we lived together, we did not say a single evil or offensive word to each other and never quarreled among ourselves. We asked our husbands to let us go to the women’s monastery, but they do not agree, and we made a vow not to utter a single worldly word until death." The holy ascetic glorified God and said: “Truly, the Lord is not looking for a virgin or a married woman, neither a monk nor a layman, but appreciates the free intention of a person and sends the grace of the Holy Spirit to his voluntary will, which acts and governs the life of every person striving to be saved.”

During the reign of the Arian emperor Valens (364-378), Saint Macarius the Great, together with Saint Macarius of Alexandria, was persecuted by the Arian bishop Luke. They seized both elders and put them on a ship and took them to a deserted island where the pagans lived. There. through the prayers of the saints, the daughter of the priest was healed, after which the priest himself and all the inhabitants of the island received holy Baptism. Upon learning of what had happened, the Arian bishop was ashamed and allowed the elders to return to their deserts.

The meekness and humility of the monk transformed human souls. "A bad word," said Abba Macarius, "makes the good ones thin, but a good word makes the bad ones good." To the question of the monks how one should pray, the monk answered: “Prayer does not require many words, you just need to say: “Lord, as You wish and as You know, have mercy on me.” If the enemy attacks you, then you only need to say: "Lord, have mercy!" The Lord knows what is good for us and will show us mercy." When the brethren asked: "How can one become a monk?" renounce everything that is in the world, cannot be a monk." To this I replied: "I am weak and cannot be like you." Then the monks answered: "If you cannot be like us, then sit in your cell and repent of your sins."

Saint Macarius gave advice to one monk: "Run away from people and you will be saved." He asked: "What does it mean to run from people?" The monk answered: "Sit in your cell and repent of your sins." Saint Macarius also said: "If you wish to be saved, be like a dead man who does not get angry when he is dishonored, and does not exalt himself when he is praised." And again: “If for you reproach is like praise, poverty is like wealth, lack is like abundance, you will not die.

The prayer of St. Macarius saved many in dangerous circumstances of life and kept them from troubles and temptations. His mercy was so great that they said about him: "As God covers the world, so Abba Macarius covered the sins that he, seeing, as if he did not see, and hearing, as if he did not hear."

The monk lived to be 97 years old, shortly before his death, the Monks Anthony and Pachomius appeared to him, reporting the joyful news of his imminent transition to the blessed Heavenly cloisters. Having given instructions to his disciples and blessed them, the Monk Macarius took leave of everyone and rested with the words: “Into Your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.”

Saint Abba Macarius spent sixty years in a desert that was dead to the world. Most of the time the monk spent in conversation with God, often being in a state of spiritual rapture. But he never stopped crying, repenting and working. The abbot turned his rich ascetic experience into deep theological creations. Fifty conversations and seven ascetic words remained a precious legacy of the spiritual wisdom of St. Macarius the Great.

The idea that the highest good and goal of man is the union of the soul with God is the main one in the works of St. Macarius. Talking about ways to achieve sacred unity, the monk based himself on the experience of the great teachers of Egyptian monasticism and on his own. The path to God and the experience of communion with God by the holy ascetics is open to every believing heart. That is why the Holy Church included in the commonly used evening and morning prayers the ascetic prayers of St. Macarius the Great.

Earthly life, according to the teachings of St. Macarius, with all its labors, has only a relative significance: to prepare the soul, to make it capable of perceiving the Kingdom of Heaven, to cultivate in the soul an affinity with the Heavenly Fatherland. "The soul that truly believes in Christ must be transferred and changed from the current vicious state to another good state, and from the current lowly nature to another, Divine nature, and be changed into a new one - through the power of the Holy Spirit." This can be achieved if "we truly believe and love God and turn in all His holy commandments." If, however, the soul, betrothed to Christ in holy Baptism, does not itself cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon it, then it will be subject to “excommunication from life,” as having turned out to be unseemly and incapable of communion with Christ. In the teaching of St. Macarius, the question of the unity of God's Love and God's Truth is experimentally resolved. The inner achievement of a Christian determines the extent to which he perceives this unity. Each of us acquires salvation by grace and the Divine gift of the Holy Spirit, but it is possible to achieve the perfect measure of virtue necessary for the soul to assimilate this Divine gift only "by faith and love with the effort of free will." Then "as much as in grace, so much in righteousness" the Christian inherits eternal life. Salvation is a work of the God-man: we achieve complete spiritual success "not only by Divine power and grace, but also by bringing our own labors", on the other hand, we come to the "measure of freedom and purity" not only by our own diligence, but not without "assistance from above by God's hand ". The fate of a person is determined by the actual state of his soul, his self-determination to good or evil. “If a soul in this world does not yet receive the sanctity of the Spirit for much faith and prayers, and does not become a partaker of the Divine nature, then it is unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The miracles and visions of blessed Macarius are described in the book of presbyter Rufinus, while his life was compiled by the Monk Serapion, Bishop of Tmunt (Lower Egypt), one of the famous figures of the Church of the 4th century.

The peculiarity of the Orthodox faith is in the veneration of the holy fathers, their works, compiled for posterity. One of them was Macarius the Great, whose life is full of instructive stories. He became famous not only for miracles, but also for numerous soul-saving writings.


Path to the monasticism of Saint Macarius

The future saint was born at the very beginning of the 4th century, in Egypt, which is why he is called Egyptian. In his youth, Macarius was married, though he soon became a widower and devoted himself to the study of the Holy Scriptures. Obeying the word of God, he did not become a monk as long as his parents were alive, he took care of them. The life of Macarius the Great as a monk began only after their death. Then he went into the desert, where he spent several months alone.

Then he fulfilled his old dream - he became a student of St. Anthony (both saints are revered by both Orthodox and Catholics, because they lived long before the separation of the churches). Macarius the Great was joyfully accepted into the monastic family. A few years later, with the blessing of his spiritual father, he again went into the desert.


Life of Macarius the Great

According to the apostolic rules, a person cannot be a priest until he reaches the age of 33. Unfortunately, now these ancient principles are not always observed, but in the time of the first ascetics they were taken very seriously. Although Saint Macarius the Great was very wise and distinguished by a humble disposition, he was called a “young man” until the age of 30. Then people understood that spiritual growth is a matter of life, and only a few, chosen by God, can reach the upper levels.

  • Macarius acquired such a peaceful spirit that even the robbers turned to Christ after talking with him. There are many stories about this, which are recorded in ancient patericons.

Having reached the age of 40 (he was previously considered maturity), the saint was ordained a priest. He also became the leader of the community in which he lived. During these years he often visited St. Anthony, learned a lot from him.

Macarius the Great knew for sure - prayer is the only way to God. He himself composed many of the prayers that are included in the daily routine for Orthodox Christians. It is easy to recognize them - the texts are short, but capacious, full of humility and remorse. You will find a few at the end of this article, be sure to read them. Let there be no feeling of repentance in the heart yet - prayer will melt the heart over time, and the believer will be able to feel all his baseness before the Creator, but also realize His goodness and love.


Conversations of Macarius the Great

For those who seek the salvation of the soul, Macarius the Great left his writings - Conversations, Instructions and Messages. Spiritual talks are divided by topic:

  • about maintaining the purity of the heart;
  • about prayer;
  • about there, how to become patient;
  • how to achieve spiritual perfection;
  • about love and freedom.

The writings of Macarius the Great have been translated into many languages, including Russian. The words of the wise old man give great food for thought, bring much benefit to the soul. For example, he teaches, the first step is to gain firm faith. Then force yourself to live according to the commandments, even if the heart is against it. Macarius the Great wrote in a fairly simple language, so everyone can understand his instructions.

His colleague Rufinus wrote about Macarius the Great himself in an essay on the life of monks. There he is given a separate chapter. It consists of several episodes. It is clear from the story that even then the elder enjoyed respect both among the population and among the hermits. The Egyptian monastic communities were very numerous, they played a very important role in the formation of the universal Church.

What do they pray to the saint

Entering adulthood, the monk was rewarded from the Lord with the gift of miracles. Once he even resurrected a dead person in order to convince a person who denied the possibility of resurrection (even part of the Jewish religious schools did not believe in this).

Although in those days Christianity was already well known, it was still persecuted. Emperor Valens, who ruled until 378, exiled Macarius the Great to an island inhabited only by pagans. The Reverend was with his friend. While they arrived at the place of exile, the leader's daughter fell ill. The monk healed the girl, which forced all the witnesses of the miracle to convert to Christianity.

When word of this reached the authorities, both monks were allowed to return to their monastery. Saint Macarius the Great lived to a very advanced age. It is believed that the saints move to some other level of being, they begin to literally feed on the energy of the Creator (in fact, this is indicated in the Bible that the believer will live by the Word of God). He departed to the Lord in 391. His relics remain partly in Italy, partly in the monastery he founded.

One should ask the saint, first of all, for help in saving the soul. You can also pray for bodily health, teaching the truths of Scripture.

Prayer of St. Macarius the Great

Reverend Father Macarius! Look at us mercifully and raise those who are committed to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are grief in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by a place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we resort to you and cry out: instruct us to walk in your way, enlighten and guide. Your whole holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying out to the Lord for us. Ask for your intercession from the All-Merciful God of our peace to His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, consent in faith and single wisdom, superstition and splits, extermination, affirmation in good deeds, healing to the sick, sad consolation, offended intercession, distressed help. Do not shame us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, with your miracles performed and graces of blessing, confess thee to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercy, and you helped their father all the way, do not reject us, their children, marching in their steps towards you. Your most honorable icon is coming, as if I live for you, we bow down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them on the altar of the goodness of God, may we receive grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in the faith, but we certainly hope to receive all that is good from the mercy of the Lord through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! To all of us, with faith flowing to you, help us with your intercession to the Lord, and rule us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and settle with hope in the blessed bowels of Abraham, where you now joyfully rest in labors and labors, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity of glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Video about Saint Macarius

Saint Macarius the Great - life, prayer, conversations, a word about purity was last modified: June 22nd, 2017 by Bogolub

Saint Macarius of Egypt was born around the year 301 in Egypt. The father of the monk was a presbyter and was called Abraham, while his mother was called Sarah. Since the marriage of Macarius's parents was barren, they agreed to live in spiritual cohabitation, and not carnal, decorating their lives with many virtues. At that time, barbarians attacked Egypt, who plundered all the property of the inhabitants of Egypt, including Abraham and Sarah. Once, when Father Macarius was sleeping, the holy patriarch Abraham appeared to him in a dream, who began to console him in misfortune and at the same time predicted that God would soon bless him with the birth of a son. It was then that Macarius' parents moved to the village of Ptinapor in Lower Egypt. After some time, Presbyter Abraham became very ill. But in a dream, an angel appeared to him, who said: “God had mercy on you, Abraham. He heals you of sickness and grants you His favor, for your wife Sarah will give birth to a son named blessedness. He will be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, living on earth in the form of an angel, and will lead many to God.” Soon after this, Sarah conceived in her old age, and after a certain time, a son was born to her, who was named Macarius, which means “blessed”.

When the youth Macarius reached the age of perfection and learned to understand the Holy Scriptures, he wanted to lead a monastic life. But the parents, forgetting about the prophecy, persuaded him to enter into marriage. Macarius obeyed, but after the wedding he did not touch his bride. A few days later it happened to one of the relatives of Macarius to go to the Nitrian mountain. Macarius went with him. The Nitrian Desert bordered Libya and Ethiopia and got its name from the neighboring mountain, where there was a lot of nitra, or saltpeter, in the lakes. In Nitria, in a dream vision, a wondrous man appeared before the saint, shining with light, who said: “Macarius! Look carefully at these desert places, for you are destined to settle here.” Awakening from his sleep, Macarius began to think about what had been said to him in the vision. At that time, no one had yet settled in the desert, except for Anthony the Great and the unknown hermit Paul of Thebes.

Immediately upon the return of the blessed one, his wife died, departing undefiled into eternal life. Macarius thanked God, thinking at the same time: "Take heed to yourself, Macarius, and take care of your soul, for you too will soon have to leave this earthly life." And from that time on, Macarius no longer cared about anything earthly, incessantly staying in the temple of the Lord and reading the Holy Scriptures. Meanwhile, Abraham, the father of Macarius, lost his sight due to old age and illness. Blessed Macarius looked after his father with love and diligence. Soon the elder went to the Lord, and six months later, Sarah, the mother of Macarius, also died. The Monk Macarius buried his parents, and then distributed all his property in remembrance of the souls of the deceased.

Thus freed from all worldly concerns, Macarius came to an experienced elder, who lovingly received the humble young man, showed him the beginnings of a silent monastic life and taught him the usual monastic needlework - weaving baskets. He also arranged for Macarius a separate cell not far from his own. Some time later, the bishop of that country came to the village of Ptinapor and, having learned from the inhabitants of the village about the exploits of blessed Macarius, called him to himself, appointing him as a clergyman of the local church, although Macarius was still young. But Saint Macarius, burdened by the position of a cleric, left and settled in a deserted place. A reverent man came to him here and began to serve Macarius.

The devil, who hated all goodness, seeing how he was defeated by the young monk, began to fight intensely with him, plotting various intrigues: sometimes instilling in him sinful thoughts, sometimes attacking him in the form of various monsters. When Macarius was awake at night, standing at prayer, the devil shook his cell to the very foundations, and sometimes, turning into a snake, crawled along the ground and rushed furiously at the saint. But blessed Macarius, guarding himself with prayer and the sign of the cross, considered all these intrigues for nothing. Then the devil taught one woman to slander Macarius that he allegedly dishonored her. Relatives, believing her, beat the blessed one half to death, and then demanded that he now support their daughter. Having recovered, the blessed one began to make baskets and sent the money from their sale to feed the woman. When the time came for her to give birth, the righteous judgment of God overtook her. For a very long time she could not be relieved of the burden, sobbing bitterly from severe pain, until she confessed to slander. Hearing that the hermit was innocent of her disgrace, the inhabitants weepingly tried to fall at his feet, asking for forgiveness, so that the wrath of God would not comprehend them, but Macarius did not want glory from people and hastily retired to the Nitrian mountain, where he once had a vision in a dream.

After living there for three years in one cave, he went to Anthony the Great, for he had long wanted to see him. Received with love by the Monk Anthony, Macarius became his disciple and lived with him for a long time, receiving instructions and trying to imitate his father in everything. Then, on the advice of St. Anthony, Macarius withdrew to a solitary life in Skete. The Skete desert was a day's journey (25-30 versts) from the Nitrian mountain, in the northwestern part of Egypt. It was a waterless rocky desert, a favorite place of the Egyptian hermits. Here Macarius shone so brightly with exploits and succeeded so much in monastic life that he surpassed many of the brethren and received from them the name “old man”. Macarius had to fight demons both day and night. Sometimes the demons, obviously, having turned into various monsters, rushed at the saint, sometimes they raised an invisible battle against the saint, inspiring him with various passionate and impure thoughts. However, they could not overcome this courageous fighter of truth.

It happened somehow that Macarius gathered in the desert a lot of palm branches for weaving baskets and carried them to his cell. On the way he was met by a devil with a sickle and wanted to hit the saint, but could not. Then he said to Macarius: “Macarius! Because of you, I suffer great sorrow, because I am not able to defeat you. Here I am, everything you do, I do. You fast, and I don't eat anything at all; you are awake - and I never sleep. However, there is one thing in which you are superior to me. This is humility. That's why I can't fight you."

When the Monk Macarius was 40 years old, he received from God the gifts of miracles, prophecy, and power over unclean spirits. At the same time, he was ordained a priest and made rector (abba) of the monks living in Skete. About the exploits of Saint Macarius, this heavenly man, whom everyone called the Great, various legends circulated among the fathers. It is said that the monk constantly ascended with his mind to the heavenly and most of his time directed his mind to God, rather than to the objects of this world.

Macarius often visited the teacher of his Anthony the Great, conducting spiritual conversations with him. Together with two other disciples of the Monk Anthony and Macarius, he was honored to be present at his blessed death, and, as a kind of rich inheritance, he received Anthony's staff. Together with this staff of Anthony, the Monk Macarius received the purely spirit of Anthony the Great, as the prophet Elisha once perceived such after Elijah the Prophet. By the power of this spirit, Macarius created many marvelous miracles. So, he destroyed the machinations of sorcerers, returning people to their original appearance after the evil eye and magical transformations, healed incurable diseases with prayers and holy oil, cast out demons many times. The Monk Macarius received from God such grace-filled power that he could even resurrect the dead. With this gift, he shamed heretics, restored the truth in complicated cases related to murders and unpaid debts.

In the prologue about the Monk Macarius, the following is also told. One day he was on his way and, when night overtook him, he entered a pagan cemetery to spend the night there. Finding there an old bone of a dead pagan, the monk laid it at his head. The demons, seeing such boldness of Macarius, took up arms against him and, wanting to frighten him, began to shout, calling the bone by a woman's name: "Go wash in the bathhouse." The demon who was in this dead bone answered this call: "I have a wanderer over me." The monk was not afraid of demonic wiles, but boldly began to beat the bone he had taken, saying: “Get up and go if you can.” The demons were put to shame.

On another occasion, the Monk Macarius was walking through the desert and found a dried-up human skull on the ground. Macarius asked the skull: “Who are you?” - “I was the head of the pagan priests who lived in this place. When you, Abba Macarius, filled with the Spirit of God, having mercy on those who are in torment in hell, pray for us, then we receive some relief.” - “What relief do you get and what are your torments?” - “How far the sky is from the earth,” answered the skull with a groan, “so great is the fire in the midst of which we are, scorched from everywhere from head to toe. However, we cannot see each other's faces. When you pray for us, we see a little of each other, and this serves as some consolation to us.” Hearing such an answer, the monk shed tears and said: “Cursed is the day when a person transgressed the Divine commandments.” And again he asked: “Is there any other torment that is more severe than yours?” “We, who did not know God,” replied the skull, “although a little, we still feel the mercy of God. Those who knew the name of God, but rejected Him and did not keep His commandments, are tormented below us by much more difficult and cruel torments. After this, the Monk Macarius took that skull, buried it in the ground, and withdrew.

Many different people came to Saint Macarius, even from distant lands. Some asked for his prayers, blessings and fatherly guidance, others for healing from their ailments. Because of this crowd, Macarius now had little time to indulge in meditation in solitude. Therefore, he dug a deep cave under his cell, where he hid for prayer. His monastery, according to Rufinus, was lower, in another wilderness; there were many brothers in him.

Once Macarius was sitting on the road leading to the monastery. Suddenly he sees the devil walking in human form, dressed in shaggy clothes and all hung with pumpkins. Macarius asked: "Where are you going, breathing malice?" - "I'm going to tempt the brethren." - “Why did you put pumpkins on yourself?” - “I bring food to the brethren.” - “Are there food in all pumpkins? the reverend asked. "In all. If someone does not like one, I will suggest another, third, etc., so that everyone can try at least one.” Having said this, the devil departed. The Reverend remained on the road. Seeing that the devil was returning, Macarius again asked: “Did you go to the monastery well?” - “Bad,” the devil replied, “and how could I succeed? All the monks took up arms against me, and no one accepted me.” “Don’t you have a single monk who would obey you?” Macarius asked again. “I have only one,” answered the devil. - When I come to him, he spins around me like a top. - "What is his name?" - “Pheopempt!” Then Abba Macarius went into the far desert to the named monastery. The brethren, hearing that the saint was coming towards them, came out to meet him with palm branches, and each of them prepared his cell, thinking that the monk would want to stay with him. But Macarius the Great asked the monks who Theopemptus was, and went in to him. He received the monk with great joy. Left alone with Theopemptos, Saint Macarius questioned him with wisdom and learned that he was possessed by the spirit of fornication and other sins. Having given the monk soul-beneficial instructions, the blessed one returned to his wilderness. There, sitting by the road, he again saw the devil going to the monastery, and he confessed that now all the monks were turning against him.

Once, when Saint Macarius was praying, there was a voice to him that said: “Macarius! You have not yet reached such perfection in a virtuous life as two women living together in a nearby city. Having received such a revelation, the monk took his staff and went to that city. Finding there the house where the aforementioned women lived, he called both of them to him and said to them: “For your sake, I undertook such a great feat, having come here from the far desert, for I want to know your good deeds, about which I ask you to tell me hiding nothing.” “Believe us, honest father,” answered the women, “that we shared our bed with our husbands last night. What virtues do you wish to find in us?” But the monk insisted that they tell him the way of their life. Then, the women said: “We were not relatives among ourselves before, but then we married two siblings, and for 15 years now we have all been living in the same house; during the entire time of our life together we did not say a single malicious or bad word to each other and never quarreled among ourselves. We have recently decided to leave our carnal spouses and retire to the host of holy virgins who serve God. However, there is no way we can beg our husbands to let us go. Then we made a covenant with God and among ourselves not to utter a single worldly word until our death.” After listening to their story, the Monk Macarius said: “Truly, God is not looking for a virgin, or a married woman, or a monk, or a layman, but a free intention, accepting it as the very thing, and gives to the voluntary will of every person the grace of the Holy Spirit acting in a person. and directing the life of everyone who wants to be saved.”

During the life of Macarius the Great, also called the Egyptian, another Saint Macarius, the Alexandrian, shone with holiness. He was a presbyter in a monastery that bore the name of Cell. This area was in the desert between Nitria and Skete. The ascetics of the Nitrian mountain retired to the desert of Kelia after they had already established themselves in the monastic life. Here they practiced silence, and their cells were far removed from each other. This blessed Macarius of Alexandria often came to the Monk Macarius of Egypt, and they often walked together in the wilderness. When the Arian emperor Valens reigned, he raised a very cruel persecution of the Orthodox. Lucius, the Arian bishop, arrived in Alexandria by royal order, and deposed from the episcopal chair St. Peter, the successor of St. Athanasius the Great. He also sent soldiers into the desert to capture and send into exile all the desert fathers. Among the first, both Saint Macarius were captured and taken to a remote island, whose inhabitants worshiped idols. One of the priests who were on that island had a daughter possessed by a demon, and the monks, having prayed, cast him out and healed the girl. Her father immediately believed in Christ and received holy baptism. Likewise, all the inhabitants of that island turned to Christ. Upon learning of what had happened, the wicked Bishop Lucius was greatly ashamed that he had expelled such great fathers. Therefore, he secretly sent to return the blessed Macarius and all the holy fathers who were with them to their former dwelling places.

Meanwhile, many people came to St. Macarius the Great from everywhere, so it became necessary to build a hotel for wanderers and the sick. This is what the saint did. Every day he usually healed one sick person, anointing him with holy oil and sending him home completely healthy. The monk did this so that other sick people, who were not immediately healed by him, lived with him for some time and thus received healing not only of the body, but also of the soul, listening at that time to his divinely inspired teachings.

Once the Monk Macarius went from Skete to the Nitrian mountain with one of his disciples. When they were already approaching the mountain, the monk said to the disciple: “Go ahead of me.” The disciple went and met a pagan priest who was carrying a large log. Seeing him, the monk shouted: “Listen, you demon! Where are you going?" The priest beat the monk so hard that he barely survived. Grabbing then a log that had been thrown, the priest ran away. Soon he met the Monk Macarius, who lovingly said: "Save yourself, hard worker, save yourself." The priest stopped and asked: “What good did you see in me, greeting me with such words?” - “I see that you are working,” answered the monk. Then the priest said: “Father, I was touched by your words. I see that you are a man of God. Here, before you, another monk met me, who scolded me, and I beat him to death. And with these words, the priest fell at the feet of the monk, embracing them and saying: “I will not leave you, father, until you convert me to Christianity and make me a monk.” And he went along with Saint Macarius. After walking a little, they came to the place where the monk, beaten by the priest, was lying and found him barely alive. Taking it, they brought it to the church. The fathers, seeing together with the Monk Macarius a pagan priest, were greatly astonished. Then, having baptized him, they also made him a monk, and for his sake many pagans converted to Christianity. Saint Macarius gave the following instruction on this occasion: “An evil word makes the good ones evil, but a good word makes the bad ones good.”

Once the Monk Macarius came to the monastery of Abba Pamvo. Here the elders asked the blessed one to give a word for the edification of the brethren. Saint Macarius began to say: “Forgive me, for I am a bad monk; but I saw monks. So one day I was sitting in Skete in my cell, and the thought came to me to go to the inner desert. Five years later I went there and found a huge swamp, in the middle of which I saw an island. At this time, animals came to drink water. Among the animals, I noticed two naked people and thought that I saw incorporeal spirits. Seeing that I was very frightened, the people reassured me and said that they were from kinovia, but it had been thirty years since they had left the monastery. One of them was an Egyptian, the other a Libyan. Then they also asked me in what state the world is now, whether the rivers are still filled with their streams, whether the earth abounds with its usual fruits. I answered them: "Yes." Then he asked them how I could become a monk. They answered me: "Unless a person renounces everything that is in the world, he cannot be a monk." To this I said: "I am weak and therefore cannot be like you." “If you cannot be like us,” they said, “then sit in your cell and repent of your sins.” And again I asked them if they suffered from cold in winter and from scorching heat in summer. They answered me: “The Lord God gave us such bodies that we do not suffer from frost in winter, nor from heat in summer.” “That is why I told you brethren,” St. Macarius finished his speech, “that I have not yet become a monk, but I have seen monks.”

Once the Monk Macarius was asked by the Skete Fathers how he managed to keep his body always thin? The Monk Macarius gave the following answer: “Just as a poker, with which burning wood and brushwood is turned over in a furnace, is always scorched by fire, so in a person who always directs his mind to the Lord and always keeps in mind the terrible torment in the fire of Gehenna, this fear not only consumes body, but also dries out the bones.”

Then the brethren asked the monk about prayer. He gave them this instruction: “Prayer does not require verbosity, but you need to lift up your hands, saying: Lord! as You wish and as You Yourself know, have mercy on me. If the enemy raises sinful warfare in the soul, it is only necessary to say: Lord, have mercy. The Lord knows what is good for us and will show us mercy.”

Another time, Abba Isaiah asked the monk: “Tell me, father, some instruction for the benefit of the soul.” “Run away from people,” Saint Macarius answered him. “That is, sit in your cell and repent of your sins.” To his disciple Paphnutius the Great, he said: “Do not offend anyone, do not slander anyone - by doing this, you will be saved.” The saint also said: “If you wish to be saved, be like a dead man: do not be angry when you are dishonored, do not be haughty when you are praised. By doing so, you will be saved.” To the elders who lived on Mount Nitria, the monk said: “Brethren! let us weep, and let tears flow from our eyes, purifying us before we go to the place where tears burn our bodies in torment.”

One day Saint Macarius found a thief in his cell. Outside, near the cell, a donkey was tied, on which the thief laid the stolen things. The monk, seeing this, did not make it clear to the thief that he was a householder, and even himself began to help him take things and put them on the donkey. Then he let him go peacefully, thinking like this: “We didn’t bring anything with us into this world, we can’t take anything away from here. The Lord has given us everything, and as He wishes, so everything happens. May God be blessed in everything!”

About this same Saint Macarius, the Fathers told that he became, as it were, an earthly god, for, just as God, although he sees the whole world, does not punish sinners, so Saint Macarius covered the human infirmities that he saw. It happened that even being far from his children, he appeared to them during demonic temptations and miraculously helped to avoid falls. The prayer of Macarius the Great with God had such power. Once the monk himself, being very tired, prayed fervently and was transferred through a great distance to where he needed to go.

It is now time to tell about the blessed death of Macarius of Egypt, which Serapion, the scribe of his life, told us about. The time of death did not remain unknown to the monk. Shortly before his repose, Saints Anthony the Great and Pachomius the Great appeared to him in a vision. Those who appeared told the saint that on the ninth day he would depart into blessed eternal life. Then the divine Macarius called his disciples and said to them: “Children! the time has come for my departure from here, and I entrust you with the goodness of God. So, keep the statutes of the fathers and the traditions of the fasting.” After laying his hands on his disciples, teaching them enough and praying for them, the monk began to prepare for his death. When the ninth day came, the Cherubim appeared to Saint Macarius with many angels and with the saints and took his immortal soul to heavenly abodes.

Serapion, who describes the life of Saint Macarius, heard from the Monk Paphnutius, one of the disciples of the saint, that when the soul of Macarius ascended to heaven, some of the fathers saw with their mental eyes that airborne demons stood in the distance and shouted: “Oh, what glory you have been granted, Macarius! ” The saint answered: “I am afraid, because I do not know anything good that I would do.” Then those of the demons that were even higher along the path of the soul of Macarius who followed, yelled: “You really escaped our hands, Macarius!” But he said: "No, but you must also avoid it." And when the monk was already at the gates of paradise, the demons exclaimed: "He escaped us, he escaped." Then Macarius loudly answered the demons: “Yes! Protected by the power of my Christ, I escaped your wiles.” Such is the life, death and transition into eternal life of our reverend father Macarius of Egypt.

Saint Macarius the Great died about the year 391 at the age of 90. The place of his exploits is still called the Macarius desert. The relics of the saint are in the city of Amalfi in Italy. The precious heritage of the experienced wisdom of St. Macarius, which has come down to us, is 50 Words, 7 Instructions and 2 Epistles, as well as several exalted prayers. The subjects of conversations and instructions of St. Macarius are the grace of God and the inner spiritual life, as it is accomplished on the path of contemplative solitude. Despite the deep subject matter, the conversations and instructions of the spirit-bearing teacher are simple and intelligible to the mind and close to the reverent heart.

Date of publication or update 01.11.2017

  • Contents: Lives of the Saints

    • Life of the Reverend Macarius of Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky.

    Years of life 1349 - 1444.

    Who will give me krill like a pigeon; and I will fly and sleep.
    Behold, he ran away, and settled in the wilderness.
    Teas of God saving me
    from cowardice and from a storm (Psalm 54:7-10)

    The Monk Macarius, the great desert-dweller and miracle worker, “praise and affirmation of the whole Russian land,” was born in Nizhny Novgorod into a family of townspeople in 1349, during the reign of Konstantin Vasilyevich, who became famous for his piety and strength against enemies. The parents of the Monk John and Mary were distinguished by piety, among fellow citizens they were an example in family and social life. Feeding mutual love for each other, they kept firm faith in their hearts, took care of the purity of their souls and bodies, in all needs they turned with prayer to the only Giver of all blessings - God. They lived in the parish of the Nizhny Novgorod Church of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women. Their house was next to the temple, which they visited with reverence. Until now, they point to the place where, according to legend, the parents of the saint lived, and where the saint himself was born.


    Macarius Unzhensky in his life. Kostroma. Icon from the early 18th century.

    The pious and God-fearing parents of the monk had no children for a long time. In their fervent prayers, along with other needs, they asked God to grant them good children. The merciful God heard their prayer and gave them a son. What name Macarius was given at baptism is unknown. It is only known that the son, requested through the prayers of his parents, was baptized in the parish church of Myrrh-bearing Church.


    Saints Macarius of Unzhensky and Jacob Zheleznoborovsky. 1620s From the Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery. Kostroma (see Iconography of the disciples of Sergius of Radonezh).

    Having received saving grace through holy baptism, Macarius, even in infancy, showed himself a special sign of God. His heart was attracted to the holy temple even then, as his lips could not pronounce praise before the Lord.

    The child, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, brought comfort to his parents. His calmness was interrupted only when the ringing of a bell was heard, calling the faithful to public worship. When the time came for Matins, Liturgy, or Vespers, he suddenly changed his quiet smile into tears, even if he was in the arms of a tender mother. Even sleep, pleasant for everyone, especially for babies, could not calm the reverend. In the middle of a deep sleep, wrapped in swaddling clothes, he woke up at the very moment when they began to strike the bell. And, having woken up, instead of words, in a deplorable voice, he showed his zeal for the Church of God. Tears flowed from the eyes, and with them sobs escaped from the infant's chest. Compassionate parents sought various means to calm their beloved son.

    But all was in vain. No caresses could console the inconsolable baby. Chosen from his mother's womb to serve God, he could not find consolation in any amusements of this world. This greatly disturbed the caring parents, who did not find the reason for such crying. They were afraid to wear it to church, fearing even greater sobs and cries of the baby, indecent for worship. But when they noticed that crying was repeated with their son at the same time, they began to look at him in bewilderment and wonder. First among themselves, and then with relatives and friends, they began to talk about the baby. “Why,” they said, “during the whole time he is calm and enjoys a quiet sleep; but during Divine services he knows neither sleep nor rest. Having judged thus, the parents of the monk, when they were about to go to church, they decided to take the weeping baby with them.

    “Oh, if,” they thought, “our son would stop crying in the holy church, we would carry him there all the time.” As soon as they entered the church, the baby suddenly received such consolation, which until now the parents had not seen in him. During church reading and singing, he turned to his mother holding him with tenderness, a smile and caresses. On his face was depicted an extraordinary joy, with which the angels rejoice in heaven, and with which St. John the Baptist in the womb of the blessed Elizabeth. And without words, he clearly expressed his desire to offer praise and thanksgiving to God. Such joy of the baby comforted his lamentable parents. Since that time, they have learned about the cause of infant tears. At the first strike of the bell, the parents who lived near the Mironositskaya Church began to carry their son to the temple, or let him be taken to his relatives. Whenever only the monk was brought to church, he rejoiced in spirit and body. But if he remained in the house of his parents when the divine service was being served, then the former crying again appeared on his eyes and lips.

    This made it necessary to carry the baby to church all the time, without missing a single service. From visiting the house of God, tears ceased to irrigate his face. A constantly rejoicing baby was a comfort to parents. They saw on their son the blessing of God and the resting power of the Spirit, preparing him for holy service.

    Thus, the Monk Macarius, while still an infant, attracted the special attention of his parents. They marveled at his extraordinary understanding and took every possible care of his upbringing. Following the example of other compassionate parents, they applied all means to his education. As soon as the monk reached the age of adolescence, they immediately sent him to learn to read and write. Enlightened by Divine grace, he soon learned to read and understand Holy Scripture. None of his peers could compare with him in this understanding. The blessed youth found in the Divine Scripture what his pure heart was looking for. The Word of God was food and drink for him. The beginning of his wisdom was not incorporeal knowledge, but the many-fruited fear of the Lord. Examples of ascetics of piety, about whom the monk happened to read, inflamed his spirit and carried him away. Along with zeal for hearing and reading the word of God, he combined meekness, humility, obedience and other virtues. Out of love for silence, he moved away, if possible, from the games that his peers amused themselves with, and in conversations with them he did not utter a single empty word.

    The young life of the lad was instructive for everyone. Not only parents and relatives, but all the inhabitants of Nizhny Novgorod were amazed at the piety of such a young lad as Macarius. Constantly visiting God's temple and moving away from worldly fuss, he aroused reverence in others. The good deeds of the young lad involuntarily attracted others to him, his name became known throughout the city. In Nizhny Novgorod there is a legend about how he covered a pond with boards, from which water was allegedly carried out under the church of St. Myrrh-bearing wives, as he allowed only worthy people to draw water from this pond. We do not vouch for the authenticity of this legend, which could have changed over the course of more than 600 years. At the very least, it hides the idea that the Monk Macarius, even before he was tonsured a monk, earned the love and respect for himself of many fellow citizens, who saw in him the actions of the grace of God. But he was not born for the world, and not for earthly honors.

    Dedicating himself to the service of God, Macarius hated the vanity of the world and loved the life of a hermit. He saw many obstacles in the world for salvation. The gospel words about selflessness and the exploits of the hermits convinced him to leave the world and settle in the desert. He liked the monastic way of life very much. Out of love for desert living, Macarius, in addition to his parish church, visited the Caves Monastery, founded around 1330. The monastery at that time was located two versts from Nizhny Novgorod down the Volga. The founder of the monastery Kiev-Pechersk tonsured, St. Dionysius, who came here with his icon, first dug out a secluded cave for himself on the banks of the Volga River, and then arranged for the workers who came to him for obedience a monastery in the name of the Ascension of the Lord. With his strict life, he attracted many students to himself and was above them, first hegumen, and then archimandrite. Among the twelve chosen disciples of the founder of the Caves monastery, the most famous is St. Euthymius, a close associate of St. Macarius.

    In 1352, Grand Duke Boris Konstantinovich summoned him from the Nizhny Novgorod monastery and appointed him archimandrite of the Spaso-Evfimievsky monastery founded by him in Suzdal. Among the students of St. Dionysius was no less famous for Paul the Tall, “the old man of the book and wonderful,” who died on January 1, 1383 and was mourned by Dionysius himself for his great deeds. Looking at the exploits of the Caves abbot with his chosen students, Macarius wanted to imitate them and often went from his parental home to the monastery. Here he loved to listen to the lives of the saints and stories about the exploits of the great hermits. In prayers and soul-saving conversations with the elders, he spent time in the monastery. When Macarius heard about the miraculous deeds of Anthony, Theodosius and other hermits, he was inflamed with intense zeal for the monastic life. He saw in it a direct path to salvation, protected from worldly fuss, and clung to it with all his heart. Desiring salvation for all, the Lord prepared it for Himself in a chosen, honest vessel.

    The young boy wanted to fulfill his holy desire; but love for his parents did not allow him to leave them. He argued for a long time about whether it was impossible to reconcile ordinary love for parents with an all-round love for God. But he saw some obstacle: in order to save his soul, he had to leave the house, parents and relatives, according to the word of the Gospel (Luke 14:26). To do this, he made a relentless decision to take the veil as a monk, waiting only for an opportunity. Once, secretly from his parents, he went to the Caves Monastery. The light-coloured clothes, in which the monk was, seemed to him indecent to appear in it at the monastery for entry into the ranks of the monks. On the way, he met a beggar in thin, tattered clothes. The humble lad wanted to exchange clothes with him. The poor man gladly agreed to his proposal, surprised at such unexpected alms. Macarius took off his light-colored robe, giving it to the beggar, and put on a shabby robe himself.

    In beggarly clothes, with a spirit of deep humility and humiliation, he appeared in the Caves monastery. Here, in such a changed form, no one recognized him, even among those who had previously seen him at home and talked with him. Arriving at the Caves Monastery, the 12-year-old boy appeared to Archimandrite Dionysius. With bows and spiritual humility, he asked the rector to accept him among the brethren. “Father and Lord! Macarius called out to him, “be merciful to me, count me poor to the holy herd chosen by you.” The abbot, who was strict in the rules, saw the young lad by his years as not yet capable of a monastic life. However, I asked him: “What place are you from and who are your parents?” Calling himself a rootless orphan from another city, Macarius continued to ask for the abbot. Noticing the intensified desire of the lad, St. Dionysius pointed out to him a young age at which it was not convenient to endure monastic deeds.

    “Believe me, child,” he said with love to the youth, “it is difficult and regrettable to bear the yoke of monastic life. You are still quite young. In my opinion, it is impossible for you to endure fasting labors and endure adversity from demonic wiles. Caring for you, I am afraid that instead of saving your soul, you would not love something worldly, which you are now leaving, and would not consider the right path of salvation difficult and obstinate. Then your good undertaking will not help you, but will turn into destruction, as it is written: put your hand on the scarf, and it is in vain to turn back;

    From such persuasive words, the humble lad shed tears, and with tears asked the abbot about the fulfillment of his vow. “Holy Father! - Macarius answered with firm hope, - didn't the Lord himself say about me in the Gospel: I will not get rid of the one who comes to me (Jn. 6, 37)? And now I have come to the merciful God, who wants to save me through you. No sorrow can separate me from Him. What you need for cooking, I have already tested. Do not be afraid to do a charitable deed to me and fulfill my petition. After such words, uttered with faith and hope, Dionysius turned special attention to the youth. Surprised at his understanding, the rector began to see in him not a 12-year-old boy, but a perfect man, overshadowed by grace and able to reach the measure of the age of Christ. Noticing the grace of God resting on him, the rector considered his convictions already superfluous, and directly said to him: “Child! May your good election be in accordance with your will.”

    Agreeing to the request of a 12-year-old boy, St. Dionysius told him to prepare to take on the angelic form. And in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, he tonsured him into monasticism, according to the order of the Orthodox Church. This significant event took place in 1631. During the tonsure, the worldly name, unknown to us, was changed. The youth in the new rank was named Macarius. Having performed the rite of monastic vows on him, the abbot ordered him to live in the same cell with him. St. Dionysius was for him an elder and mentor in monastic exploits. The youth, among the twelve disciples chosen by Dionysius, obeyed the abbot in everything. Not a single order, not a single word of his remained unfulfilled. Macarius remembered in all his affairs the vow given during the tonsure, and was always faithful to him. He showed his obedience and humility not only to the rector, but also to the entire brethren of the Caves Monastery.

    From the first days of entering the monastic order, he began to lead the most strict life, which could be an example for everyone. Humility, chastity, silence constantly adorned his lofty soul. The prayer he performed day and night was the most reverent. The time remaining from the Divine Service he devoted to reading the Holy Scriptures and talking about the desert exploits of the monks. Not a single empty word came from the lips of the monk, accustomed from childhood to remain silent. His vigil was combined with amazing abstinence. At a common meal with the brethren, the young hermit was constantly, so as not to show himself to others who were fasting. But even at the meal, he cared not about satiation, but about reverent service to God, sending Him a prayer of thanksgiving. He ate so little food that for a whole week he ate bread “no more than one prosphora” with a small amount of water. Pleasing God, he also pleased all the brethren who loved him. In the first three years of his asceticism, Macarius managed to surpass all other monks with his strict life.

    From the time Macarius secretly left his parents, they searched everywhere for him and could not find him. Many tears were shed over the loss of their only and beloved son, but all was in vain. Finding no consolation in their grief, they asked themselves in bewilderment: “Where has our son hid? Who stole it from us? Did a fierce beast eat him, or was he killed by some evil people, or was he taken away by enemies to another land? - they asked about him not only in their city, but also in the vicinity. They promised a great gift to anyone who finds a son, or at least announces him. But no one could comfort them. Three whole years passed in such futile anxiety. Sorrowful parents could not forget about such a son, in whom they placed all their hope. The merciful God wanted to comfort them in their sorrow. At one time, the abbot of the Pechersk Monastery sent an elder to the city for monastic needs. The elder was known to the father of the Monk Macarius. Having met on the road, they began to talk among themselves. Occupied with the loss of his son, John communicated his grief to the elder. Hearing about this, the monk began to ask him about his son: how old he was and how he looked. Learning about the age and appearance of the mourned youth, the elder immediately imagined young Macarius living in their monastery for 3 years already and began to think, is it not him? In order to be more certain of his guesses, he asked John about the time at which he lost his son. The sad parent told him about everything in detail: what his son was like in terms of spiritual qualities and when he hid from them. Remembering his good deeds, the parent continued to tell that his son constantly abstained from empty games and conversations, spent time in fasting and prayers, attending God's church every day.

    By external and internal signs, the elder clearly saw in such a youth an associate of his young Macarius. He began to tell John about the boy who was being saved by them. - “Three years ago, at the very time you are pointing to, a specious youth of about twelve years old, but a perfect man in mind, came to our rector, said to him a rootless orphan and a stranger from another place. He begged the archimandrite to tonsure himself as a monk, led the most strict life all the time, and now he struggles in our monastery more than all of us, having won love and respect from the rector and the brethren. The name at the tonsure was given to him Macarius. In the young hermit, about whom the elder spoke, John recognized his son.

    Saying goodbye to the elder, the delighted parent told his wife about the good news, and immediately went to the Caves Monastery. Arriving at the monastery, he turned to the rector, told him about himself and humbly asked him to show him his son, who had been ordained as a monastic three years ago. Archimandrite Dionysius, seeing the sincere love of a parent for his son, said to Macarius, who lived with him: “Go to your father, whom you did not tell me about. He has come to you and wants to see you in a monastic form.” The young hermit answered with a sense of self-denial: “You know, holy father, that having taken a new rank, I left my father and mother with all my relatives. Now my father is the One who created heaven and earth and delivered me from the vanity of the world. And after Him you are my father, mentor and leader to salvation. For this reason, having loved the Heavenly Father, I did not tell you about my earthly father.” These words were also heard by the father of the monk, who stood at the window of his son's cell.

    “My beloved child! - the compassionate father called out, - comfort me with your mother somehow. Show yourself to me and talk a little with me. If I saw you, I would rejoice in your salvation.” Firm in these vows, the monk remained adamant. Without leaving the cell and without showing himself to his father, he answered: “You cannot see each other here and talk with me. I vowed to have one Heavenly Father and only expect blessings from Him on my way. It is said in the Gospel: whoever loves his father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me and cannot be My disciple (Mt. 10, 37). If you want to see me here, don't you want to see me in the next life? Wouldn't it be better to see each other there than here? Do not weep and do not be sorry for me, but go in peace to your house. However, forgive me for my sins and bless me on the path I have chosen. I hope to see you in the next century." Having received such an unpleasant answer for himself, John burst into tears. Meanwhile, he continued to say to his son: “My beloved child! If you do not show me your face, I will not leave the cell. We have mourned much for you. Do you still want to let me go with sadness? Or do you think that I do not rejoice in your salvation, and want to hinder your chosen path? Not! I only want to see your face and have a few conversations with you.” The tearful petitions of the parent could not touch the young Macarius. Completely devoted to the Lord, he remained steadfast in his intention. Noticing such firmness in his fifteen-year-old son, the father said to him with tender love: “If you no longer want to show me your face, then at least stretch out your right hand to me through the open window.” Out of pity for the inconsolable parent, the monk agreed, and extended his hand out the window. The comforted father took his son by the hand and, kissing it, said: “My beloved child! Continue to save your soul and pray for us to God, so that we can be saved by your prayers. After that, Father Macarius returned home with joy, announced to his wife that their son was alive and was seeking salvation in the Caves monastery, having taken the monastic vows. From such joy, they spent the rest of their lives in spiritual joy, sending up praises and thanksgiving to God that He, the Merciful, had given them such a great son.

    Saying goodbye to his parent, Macarius did not stay long in the Caves Monastery. Archimandrite Dionysius, after predicting the ruin of Nizhny Novgorod by the Mongols, was called in 1374, on the first week of Great Lent, by Saint Alexy to Moscow and was appointed Bishop of Suzdal and Nizhny Novgorod. After leaving the monastery of his mentor and leader, Macarius continued to ascetic with the same zeal. He fulfilled his vows of monasticism more than others. His fasting and prayer deeds were extraordinary. He only took food so that he would not die of hunger. He went, as before, with the brethren to the meal, so as not to appear fasting in the eyes of others. Despite the deep humility in which he spent all his time, he could not hide his exploits from people. Everyone paid special attention to him and extolled him with praises. But the monk was far from earthly glory. Imbued entirely with a sense of humility, he did not want to see the praise and honors that were paid to him.

    Avoiding worldly glory, the humble monk asked God in his prayers to deliver him by His power from the surrounding turmoil and settle him in a deserted place, to which his soul aspired. With hope in God who saves, he wanted to hide from the Pechersk monastery, as he had disappeared from his parents' house before. A convenient time for the fulfillment of such a desire opened up, and he took advantage of it with all joy. Leaving the monastery, he went up the Volga River and, having reached the Lukh River, stopped. It was here, according to legend, that Macarius met the Monk Tikhon, the Wonderworker of Lukhovsky. They both avoided worldly glory and wanted, as the legend says, to labor together. For their exploits, they chose a secluded place, at the confluence of two rivers - Lukha and Dobrica. But it was as if they were driven from their chosen place by the surrounding residents who did not understand them. Tikhon went up the river Lukh, and 8 versts from his former place (5 versts from the city of Lukha, Kostroma province), stopped in the Lukhov region, on Kopytov, near the rivers Lukha and Vozopol. Here he gathered the brethren and died on July 16, 1492 as a simple monk. The monastery built by Tikhon is known under the name of the Lukhovskaya Nikolaev Hermitage, where the relics of the monk rest under a bushel.

    And the Monk Macarius, having parted from Tikhon, went along the river Dobrina. After walking about 60 versts, he stopped on the banks of the Volga, near the settlement of Reshma, Yuryevets district. At this place Macarius first built a small cell. Here, far from worldly fuss, for a long time he labored in desert exploits. Vigil, fasting and prayer were constant companions of his life. With his great deeds, the hermit gradually became famous in the surroundings. Humility lifted him up before everyone, earning him fame and respect. Many came to him for good advice and for the salvation of their souls. Carried away by his lofty example, many abandoned their worldly pursuits and vowed to lead a wilderness life with him. For the assembled brethren, Macarius founded a monastery in the name of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is now located in the Yuryevets district of the Kostroma province near the settlement of Reshma, and is known as the Makarievskaya hermitage, ruled first by abbots, and then by builders.

    Having arranged deserts near the settlement of Reshma and having chosen an igumen for the brethren, the Monk Macarius did not want to stay with them forever. Worldly glory, which captivated others, could not captivate the true wilderness dweller, who sought praise from the one God. On the contrary, he did his best to avoid people's rumors about his exploits. Out of love for silent solitude, he wanted to hide from people in the desert. Secretly left, as before, from the monastery arranged by him down the Volga River. On the way, after 200 versts, he liked the place at Zhovti Vody, on the left side of the Volga River. Settling near Zheltovodskoye Lake, Macarius dug out a wretched cave with his own hands and labored here day and night, like other great hermits. However, his solitary life did not last long. With all his efforts, he could not hide from others, like a hailstone standing at the top of a mountain. Divine Providence has long determined that the great lamp of piety should not remain under a bushel, but be placed on a candlestick and shine for everyone. The wilderness life of Macarius opened up to other seekers of silent service to the Lord.

    The glory of his great deeds spread everywhere. From royal palaces to huts of other faiths. Some sought his blessings, while others wanted to imitate him. For the assembled monks, the monk decided, around 1434, to found a monastery in the name of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity. At this time, Grand Duke Vasily the Dark was hiding from the persecution of his cousin, Prince Dmitry Shemyaka, who wanted to deprive him of the throne, in Nizhny Novgorod. The persecuted prince visited the Monk Macarius and rendered him considerable assistance in the construction of the monastery, which, like the builder, was later named Zheltovodsk from the lake adjacent to it. In 1435, a wooden monastery with a church was built in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. In the newly built Zheltovodsk monastery, Macarius was a mentor and at the same time a servant for all his brethren. He prepared food and drink for everyone. In word and deed, he was a guide for the monks in desert exploits.

    Among the disciples of Macarius, the Monk Gregory of Pel'shemsky, a native of the Galich boyars Lopotovs, is well-known. Leaving his parents, Gregory came from the city of Galich to the famous Zheltovodsky hermit. In his monastery he was tonsured a monk, and for his great monastic deeds he was awarded the priesthood. The Monk Gregory died in the Bogoroditsky monastery built by him not far from Vologda (1479), named after the name of the founder Lopotova. The activities of Macarius on the Yellow Waters were not yet limited to the gathering and instructions of disciples like the Pelshem wonderworker. The strict life of the great mentor, combined with complete love for neighbors, involuntarily attracted to him not only Christians, but also unfaithful foreigners.

    They came to him with reverence, marveled at his great piety, and brought him gifts of wheat and honey. The monk with love and respect received them with gifts for his brethren. Treating kindly and talking with the coming Gentiles, the Zheltovodsky ascetic wanted to enlighten them with the Christian faith. Convinced by his wise advice and especially by life, many of them agreed to accept the true faith professed by Macarius. Converting to Christianity, he baptized non-Christians from Mordovians, Tatars, Cheremis and Chuvash, who lived around the monastery he built. They were baptized by the blessed desert-dweller in Zheltovodskoye Lake, which was called holy for this reason. It was located opposite the holy gates of the monastery until the beginning of the 19th century, until it was closed by the waters of the Volga.

    The Zheltovodsk monastery, arranged by the Monk Macarius and attracting many ascetics of piety, soon became famous and became crowded. But in a flowering state, it was not long, no more than four years. Expelled from the Golden Horde and not accepted by the Grand Duke of Moscow, Ulu-Mahmet set up the Kazan Khanate, founded during the time of Batu and devastated by the Russians at the end of the 14th century. Having subjugated all the inhabitants of Bulgaria under his rule, the Horde Khan began to spread the boundaries of the state he founded, with his sons Mamutyak and Yagub. In 1439, while devastating the surrounding countries, they accidentally attacked the monastery of St. Macarius, which had been built.

    Five years after the construction, the monastery was ravaged by the formidable Tatars to the ground. The brethren who escaped in it perished under the sword of the barbarians. The very founder of the devastated monastery, the Monk Macarius, already well known to the Tatars, was taken into captivity with the other survivors. When emaciated in monastic deeds, but handsome 90-year-old elder was introduced to Ulu-Mahmet, he attracted the special attention of the Kazan Khan. Those who brought the captive Macarius spoke about his valor. “This man is meek; by word or deed he did not harm anyone, not only his own, but even our fellow tribesmen. Having heard such a review of the captive old man, touched by his majestic appearance, adorned with gray hair, and his deep humility, the formidable khan softened and became meek. Taking pity on him, he angrily shouted at the commanders: “Why did you offend such a good and holy man who did not argue with you, and ruined his residence? Or do you not know that for such meek people God himself, who is one over all, can be angry? With these words, Ulu-Mahmet ordered the release of the innocent and pious old man. Having obtained his freedom, Macarius began to intercede for the release of captive Christians. Khan agreed to the request of Macarius, respected by him.

    Together with him, 40 captive husbands and several wives and children with all their property were released. Having granted freedom to the captives, the Kazan khan ordered Macarius to no longer remain in the same place, but to choose another, according to his own will. The monk promised to fulfill the order of the merciful khan. He only asked him that he, having freed the living, give freedom to the dead, and he - permission to bury the dead monks in the same place. The little trusting khan doubted this demand and said to Macarius: “Why are you tempting me, venerable elder? Who demands freedom for the dead? Or do you think they will rise up and live?”

    To such a strange question, Macarius answered with a sense of faith and reverence: “I assure you that they will live and rise. Only this will not be now, but on the day of the general resurrection. Now I ask you only that I, with my own hands, bury and bury their slain bodies, according to our Christian custom. The Khan was surprised at the wise, loving words of the monk and exclaimed about him aloud in front of all those standing: “Truly, this man of God, because he cares not only for the living, but also for the dead.” And turning to Macarius, he allowed his request to be fulfilled: "Go in peace," he said to him, "and do with the living and the dead as you wish: no one will hinder you." Finally, the khan ordered Macarius to be escorted to the place of his devastated monastery and told the reverend elder as a consolation that he would be ready to renew his former monastery one day, if its place did not already belong to the Kazan kingdom.

    Having repeatedly rid himself of invisible enemies, the blessed desert-dweller also got rid of visible enemies, involuntarily endearing them to himself. On the way back from Kazan with the released captives Makary, according to legend, stopped near the place where the city of Sviyazhsk is now. Here, on the right bank of the Sviyaga River, on a high mountain, stretching around the square in a semicircle, he laid the foundation of the desert, known as the "Makarievskaya Sviyazhskaya Suburban".

    Arriving at the place of his former monastery, Macarius buried the remaining corpses of the beaten monks with all due honor. Their grave is now near the altar of the Cathedral Trinity Church. By order of the khan, the monk could not stay long at the site of the devastated Zheltovodsk monastery. After weeping for his brothers who had been betrayed to the earth, he had to leave this place and retire with the returned captives to another country. Thus, after a five-year existence, the Zheltovodsk monastery remained in complete desolation for 190 years, until 1624, when it was again built by the pious elder Abraham, at the command of the Monk Macarius, who appeared to him three times.

    Leaving the Zheltovodsk monastery, Macarius decided to go further from the borders of the Kazan kingdom, up the Volga River. He intended to settle in the Galich region, which was located about 240 miles from the devastated monastery. Many ascetics wished to accompany Macarius. Before setting off on a long, difficult journey, he prayed in the spirit of meekness, admonishing his companions not to grieve about food, drink, and other needs that were lacking. “Do not grieve, children,” he asked the accompanying brethren, “do not grieve over the disaster that befell us from the Scythian barbarians (Tatars) for our sins. By this misfortune God turns us to salvation. May He, according to His good will, arrange everything for our good. And we only need to repent of our sins before the justice of God. If with thanksgiving we accept the earthly punishments sent by God, then we will be rewarded from it with future blessings.” Faithful companions gladly accepted such instructions from their leader. Seeing their location, the monk began to consult with them about choosing the path along which they had to go. However, avoiding the former glory, he expressed a desire to stop not in the same place near the Lukha River, but in another one - next to the Unzha River. Companions of the monk agreed with his choice. A direct and convenient way to the chosen place lay upstream of the Volga River. But on this path there was danger from the enemies who ruined the Zheltovodsk monastery and wandered along the banks of the Volga. Then Macarius decided with his brethren to follow a new path, through impenetrable forests and marshes, without losing sight of the flow of the Volga.

    The difficult path was made even harder by the lack of food supplies. The journey took place in June. Soon the travelers were faced with hunger and thirst. But the merciful God did not leave them completely exhausted. A few days later, the food supply was exhausted and the travelers mourned because of the onset of famine. Through the prayers of the monk, in order to glorify his name, they met an elk on the way. The wanderers wanted to slaughter the captured animal for their own food, but the continuing time of Peter's fast stopped their intention. They turned to the Monk Macarius and began to ask him for blessings to fulfill their intention and resolve themselves in fasting.

    A strict guardian of church rules forbade them to slaughter an animal and violate the holy fasting. He ordered the captured beast to be released, cutting off its right ear. And as a consolation, he told them that in three days, on the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, the released beast himself would appear before them, and then it would be possible to slaughter him for food. For greater consolation, Macarius, who was taking care of his companions, sent warm prayers to God to strengthen them in patience. Along with the prayer, he gave them instructions: “Do not grieve,” he consoled them, “but pray to the Lord. He, who nourished Israel with manna for 40 years in the wilderness, can nourish you invisibly in these days. Have a living faith in Him who nourished five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, besides wives and children.” The prayer and exhortations of the saint did not remain without effect. In the course of three days of fasting, the wanderers continued their difficult journey without fatigue. At this time, not only did no one die of starvation, but they did not even feel hunger and did not mourn for gaining food.

    At the onset of the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, Macarius turned aside from his companions. Moving away from them, he prayed to the merciful Lord, with outstretched hands to heaven, who saves from all sorrows and illnesses. “I praise Thee,” he cried, “Lord Jesus Christ, blessed God, keep us alive until now! Verily, every breath and every creature will bless Thee: for by Thee everything lives and moves. Look mercifully from the height of Thy saint, and hear the prayer of Thy unworthy servant. As if in ancient times the rainy manna was fed to the Jewish people in the desert, and in the time of the Apostle the Apostle fed five thousand people with five loaves. So even now in this wilderness feed the people with Thy merciful and philanthropic Seeing. May the tacos be sated and praise Your holy and glorious Name forever and ever. Amen".

    After praying, Macarius came to the brethren and exhorted them not to grieve and grumble. Pointing to the harm that comes from grief and murmuring, he aroused in them hope in the Lord Savior, who had already delivered them from vain death and from barbaric captivity. “For this sake,” he continued, “let us not grieve and grumble, let us not anger our Lord and Benefactor, but let us believe and hope for His mercy; He is able to nourish and save all His faithful servants.” After such prayerful consolation, the wild beast, released three days ago, miraculously appeared among the travelers no longer wild, but meek. Taking him without any effort in their hands, they saw that his right ear had been cut off. Through this, they were convinced that this is the same beast that, at the command of the mentor, was released. Thus, the prediction of Macarius came true before all the brethren. With joy they brought the elk that appeared to their praying guide, as the author of the gifts of God. The monk rejoiced together with his companions and blessed them to use it for food.

    Having slaughtered and cooked a wild animal on the fire, the travelers were satisfied and gave praise to God for His great mercy. In this wondrous event, Macarius, as the Holy Church sings, appeared as the second Moses, "performing a great miracle with prayers and feeding smooth people to abundance." After everyone was satisfied, the prayer book, zealous for God, convinced the companions that they would no longer grieve for food, but completely trust in God, who would give them everything they needed. And the word of the monk did not remain fruitless. Continuing their journey with hope in God, they found food for themselves miraculously sent in the middle of the desert. Sometimes an elk appeared before them with meekness, sometimes a deer or other animal. Travelers took them without any difficulty in their hands and stabbed them into food, with a feeling of gratitude to the Giver of all blessings. It is not known whether everyone who walked with St. Macarius from Kazan and the Zheltovodsk monastery survived. It is only known that God constantly kept them from the surrounding death: from hunger, thirst and wild animals. And the travelers themselves could hardly have survived without such a meek, loving Wonderworker, as St. Macarius showed himself throughout the entire journey. During the journey, the monk went to Varnavina Hermitage, where he talked for some time with an associate close to him, the Monk Barnabas. However, nothing is said about this in the tradition, which has preserved information about numerous other stops made by the Monk Macarius during his wandering with his companions through the forest.

    Some time later, after leaving the devastated monastery, through the prayers of their verbal Shepherd, the wanderers released from captivity reached the limits of the Galich land and approached Unzha. The city of Unzha at that time was small. There were not many residents in the surrounding area. However, the coming of the Monk Macarius did not hide from the faithful Christians. Having learned in the city about the approach of the great ascetic, the pious inhabitants came out to meet him, wishing to enjoy his contemplation. He was received with joy throughout the city, especially when they heard from his companions that the monk had earned respect even before the Tatars and was released along with other captives, that by his prayers they were delivered from hunger and death. Hearing about the great deeds of the monk, the inhabitants of Unzha glorified God and considered His saint a worthy honor. But Macarius, avoiding worldly glory from an early age, did not want to stay in the city. He began to seek silent solitude, inquiring about such a place among the city dwellers. He was pointed to an elevated, deserted place, located 15 miles from the city, downstream of the Unzha River, on the right bank. Some of the newcomers settled in the city, others in the surrounding villages, and the guide Macarius himself examined the indicated place. The desert dweller liked it very much.

    Having chosen it for residence, he erected an honest cross here, arranged for himself a small cell from the surrounding forest, and settled in it. Ascetic in pious labors, in prayer, vigil and fasting, the hermit soon attracted to himself those seeking spiritual salvation. For the assembled monks, by the labors of Macarius, in 1439, a wooden monastery was founded, formerly known under the name of the “Makariev New Desert”, and now the Makarievsky Unzhensky Monastery. Here, in the semi-mountain, on the southwestern side of the monastery buildings, he dug with his own hands a miraculously made well, which is revered by all who come to the monastery and receive healing from their ailments. In the newly built monastery, the Monk Macarius labored day and night, sending up prayers and thanksgiving to God. For his holy life in this place, he was honored with the special grace of God - the gift of miracles.

    Among the many miracles, one is known.

    Not far from the monastery built by the reverend hermit, one maiden was blind, and, moreover, suffered from the attacks of the devil. Her father, Theodore, who was in Moscow on business, was looking for medicine to heal his daughter. But I thought about the futility of human help without the protection of God and remembered the Unzha ascetic. Returning from the capital, he decided to bring his only daughter to the feet of Macarius and ask his prayers for her healing. At the same time with the father, a similar pious intention appeared for the sick daughter and for the mother. Arriving home, Theodore told his wife about his vow given to God in Moscow, she also remembered her intention. From the conversation it turned out that their desires for their daughter coincided. Therefore, without delay, they set about fulfilling their common vow: together with their sick daughter, they went to the desert to visit the pious ascetic. Arriving at his monastery, they asked his blessing and told him about his daughter, suffering from blindness and demonic obsession. Following this, they zealously asked Macarius to pray for their daughter, for her healing. The humble hermit refused, considering himself an unworthy sinner. The compassionate parents continued to beg Macarius with great effort. Seeing in them hope in God and zeal, he finally said to them as a consolation: “Know that God can save if your faith is revealed before Him. According to your faith, He will free the daughter from the attack of the devil and eye disease. Meanwhile, he took an honest cross in his hands and marked the sick maiden with it. Following this, her eyes began to see, and along with the insight, she also freed herself from the attack of the devil. The healed daughter rejoiced with her parents with unspeakable joy. Upon leaving the Unzha monastery, they all gave thanks to the merciful God and His fervent prayer book.

    The Monk Macarius spent the last days of his laborious life in the same exploits to which he was accustomed from an early age. Rarely did he leave the Unzha hermitage, and then only out of spiritual need. Having reached the age of 95, the great ascetic of piety visited the city of Unzhu for the saving instruction of its inhabitants. Here the venerable old man became unwell. He knew the end. Departing to the Lord, he partook of the Holy Mysteries and commanded that his body be taken to the Unzha monastery arranged and beloved by him. Having prayed for the last time to the Lord, from the bed of deathly illness he said goodbye to everyone, bequeathing joy, peace and blessing. On July 25, 1444, the Monk Macarius ended his earthly life, named after his two famous monasteries Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky Wonderworker. In total, he lived 95 years, of which 83 years he was a monk. When the monk died, the great Moscow principality was ruled by the same Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark, who helped him arrange the Zheltovodsk monastery.

    After the repose of the saint of God, a wonderful fragrance spread everywhere, not only in the city, but also in all the surroundings. They immediately learned that the Monk Macarius had departed to the Lord, before Whom even the very death of the saints is honorable. From all surrounding sides, a multitude of people flocked to the reposed monk. Everyone wept inconsolably at the loss of such an ascetic, a common benefactor and fervent prayer book to God. According to the reverend's own testament, his honest body was solemnly carried from the city to the desert with candles and spiritual singing. In addition to the clergy, the people, with a feeling of regret, accompanied the saint of God, following him 15 miles of the way. On the way, they stopped four times with a coffin, and chapels were soon erected in these places, in memory of the touch of holy relics on them. In the Unzha monastery the body of the holy ascetic was buried with all due honor. Both during the transference and during the burial, many different healings were performed on those who flowed to him with faith.

    Soon, after the repose of the Monk Macarius, not a small number of hermits gathered to his healing relics. A wooden church was erected over the honest remains of the monk, and the name of the monastery itself was given: "Makariev's New Hermitage - Zheltovodsky Monastery." Continuing its existence with the prayers of a saint of God who had died in the monastery, it became more famous from 1596, when Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, having heard about the miracles of St. Macarius, sent a builder from the nobility, the pious monk David Khvostov, to the still unorganized monastery. At the request of this builder, who founded the cathedral Trinity wooden church (1601), Tsar Vasily Ioannovich granted several villages with different lands for the construction and maintenance of the monastery. And in 1620, Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, who came to the monastery to worship the Monk Macarius, first with his mother Marfa Ioannovna, and later with the whole Synclit, enriched him with generous gifts. Despite various renovations, the building in the monastery was still made of wood. But since 1663, under Abbot Nathanael, on the occasion of frequent fires, stone construction was started in it. First, the stone Trinity Church was built. And in 1670, under Abbot Nikita, another stone church was laid in the name of St. Macarius over his relics. When they began to dig the ground for a pillar on the right side, then at the foot of the shrine of the monk, they found the relics of a certain monk incorruptible, so that the hood and mantle remained intact on him, although the coffin had already decayed. According to inquiries, it turned out that this was one of the two disciples of the Monk Macarius, who died after him.

    The abbot ordered the newly acquired relics to be placed in a new coffin and placed in the corner of the church. The coffin with the relics stood in the church until 1671. But in the same year it was decided to bury them inside the church. They began to dig the ground one sazhen from the tomb of St. Macarius. At this time, the Providence of God was pleased to reveal the incorruptible relics of His saint, which remained in obscurity for 227 years, from the time of his repose. On the left side of the shrine, the earth accidentally collapsed, at this place a slab 4 spans long and one wide was found. By order of the abbot, the slab was dug. Beneath it were found the relics of St. Macarius. This happened on October 12, 1671. After examining the holy remains, the entire bodily composition, with gray hair, turned out to be intact. He seemed similar to the one depicted and portrayed by the Monk Macarius on the icons. The schema, mantle and swaddling with covers remained imperishable. The lower coffin board was also not damaged at all, and the upper board with the side ones decayed. Having found the relics of the monk, hegumen Nikita and the brethren rejoiced with great joy. The found relics, without the order of the authorities, they took out of the ground and put them in another new coffin, in the same imperishable vestments. An ancient miraculous icon was placed over the tomb of the monk, which remained intact after many fires.

    Thus, from October 12, 1671, the Unzha monastery began to celebrate the uncovering of the holy relics of St. Macarius. But out of simplicity and foolishness, they did not let the king or the patriarch know about it. The veneration of the open relics continued for about four years. After this time, one of the monks, by the name of Joseph Sviyazhan, offended by the punishment inflicted on him by hegumen Nikita, was looking for an opportunity to take revenge on him. A report on the abbot seemed to him a sure means of revenge. Annoyed, Joseph in 1675 secretly left the Unzha Monastery for the reigning city of Moscow. He reported to the hegumen that “without the order of the king and without the blessing of the patriarch, he took out the relics of one of the monks from the earth, keeps them at the top of the earth and calls them the relics of St. Macarius. This is not enough: he even took a part of these relics and lays it down during the consecration of water. And when he happens to a shrine in Moscow, he gives this water to the tsar and the patriarch. Having learned about such an unauthorized act of Abbot Nikita, Patriarch Joachim became angry with him and reported this to the king. On this matter, in February 1675, the Siberian Archbishop Simeon, who lived there in retirement, Archimandrite Tikhon, and Abbot Varlaam, who lived in the same monastery, were sent to Unzha from the Makaryevo-Zheltovodsky Monastery. They were ordered to go to the Unzhensky monastery, undertake an investigation there about the relics, inspect them and find out about the place where they were found, and deprive the abbot Nikita of his arbitrariness and send him to the Zheltovodsky monastery "under the command of the novices."

    By February 28, Archbishop Simeon, with two companions, arrived at the Unzhensky Monastery and, having examined the open relics, considered them to be the bones of a simple monk, and not of St. Macarius. He did not even want to touch them with his hands, but only lifted their clothes with a staff. Not paying honor to the relics, he apparently did not believe the stories of the monks about them, but ordered the tomb to be removed and the coffin to be placed in the corner of the church. The condemned hegumen Nikita was escorted by Simeon with Tikhon and Varlaam to the Zheltovodsky monastery, and he himself wrote in his own way about the discovery of the relics, notifying the patriarch that the hegumen had found not the relics of St. Macarius, but the bones of a simple monk, and that there were no miracles from them. Simeon's goal was to elevate the Zheltovodsk monastery through the humiliation of the Unzha monastery and to make it known everywhere that the relics of St. Macarius rest not in the first, but in the last monastery.

    The informed patriarch ordered that the newly acquired relics be buried in the same place. By the will of the patriarch, Simeon ordered to dig out a place in human growth where the tomb stood, and hide the relics of St. Macarius there, like the remains of a simple person, without any honor. Only during the burial, he secretly took a part from the relics of St. Macarius and hid it from himself. But the audacity of the archbishop was soon put to shame. By the banning of St. Macarius, the ship, on which Simion went to the Zheltovodsky Monastery, did not move from the lake to the Unzha River. This was prevented by the storm, and the wind, and the waves that rose against the ship.

    Repenting of his crime, Simeon cried out to Saint Macarius: “Holy Saint Macarius! Have mercy on me and intercede to Christ with your prayers. Having sailed with great difficulty to the Volga River, Simeon, instead of the city of Moscow, sailed to the Zheltovodsky Monastery in order to give Archimandrite Tikhon the seized part of the relics of St. Macarius. Having secretly transferred the relics to him for preservation, he went to Moscow.

    Meanwhile, Patriarch Joachim, instead of the dismissed Nikita, sent Mitrofan, “a reverent and virtuous man,” to the Unzhensky Monastery as hegumen. But Archbishop Simeon and Archimandrite Tikhon were soon punished by God for their bold act: both of them, having gone crazy in their minds, began to feel incessant fear and trembling. Tikhon, having taken part in the criminal actions of Simeon, out of fear was even forced to retire to the Pomeranian countries, and wandered around the monasteries in them, hearing a secret voice everywhere: “Don’t imam give peace until you give me mine.” Also, Simeon, while living in Moscow, constantly heard a terrible voice for himself: “Why did you take away part of my relics?” From incessant fear and horror, the archbishop finally fell into an illness and lay in it for 40 days. Meanwhile, one night the Monk Macarius appears to him with a formidable denunciation: “Why did you, elder, offend me?” - Simeon replies: “Who are you, the saint of God, and what offense have I caused you?”

    The monk said: “Why did you take away a part of my relics? I will not give you rest until you apply it again to my body. My name is Macarius Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky. After these words, the monk became invisible. And Simeon, enlightened by a miraculous vision, repented of his crime, began to pray to God and decided to announce this to the patriarch. Having received relief, he appeared to the patriarch, told him about the relics of St. Macarius and how a part was taken from them and given to Archimandrite Tikhon, how after that the monk appeared to him, instilled fear in him and threatened him with punishment. At the same time, he asked the patriarch that part of the holy relics be taken from Archimandrite Tikhon, sent to the Unzhensky Monastery and placed in the tomb of the saint of God. The patriarch was surprised by the stories of the archbishop. But since he knew about the departure of Tikhon from the Zheltovodsk monastery, he said to Simeon: “What should I do when Tikhon is not in the monastery, and where he is now, I don’t know anything about it.” And when Simeon began to beg the patriarch, he sent written instructions to various monasteries about finding Tikhon. Simeon's wish came true: Tikhon was found in one of the Novgorod deserts and brought to Moscow to the patriarch. Upon arrival, he was sent to the Zheltovodsky Monastery for the hidden part of the holy relics. Soon the shrine was brought, and the patriarch reverently presented it to Tsar Feodor Alekseevich, who had just ascended the throne. The king kissed the holy relics and said: “Reverend Father Macarius! Remember me before the throne of the King of Heaven."

    Ordering to act with the shrine according to the will of the newly appeared saint, the tsar released the patriarch and said to him: “My grandfather of blessed memory, Mikhail Feodorovich, was also honored to be in the holy monastery on Unzha.” Then the patriarch summoned Archimandrite Tikhon to him and gave him part of the holy relics with a written order to go to Unzha and there, reverently with the abbot, open the closed relics of St. Macarius. And then, having opened the upper plank of the coffin, he placed the seized part of the relics in the coffin, closed them and buried them, as before, in the ground.

    Having received a blessing from the patriarch, Tikhon took some monks with him and went with them to the Unzha monastery. He arrived here on March 17, 1677, when hegumen Mitrofan, at the behest of the patriarch, inspected some churches in the Vetluzh region. On the fourth week of Great Lent, on the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, hegumen Mitrofan also arrived at the monastery. With him, Archimandrite Tikhon placed part of his relics in the coffin of the Monk Macarius, as ordered by the patriarch, and placed a tomb over the relics as before. From Unzha, Tikhon returned to Moscow and denounced himself for unbelief, for which, as he himself confessed, he did not deserve to have part of the holy relics with him. And when hegumen Mitrofan arrived in Moscow, Simeon called him to him and said: “Forgive me, brother in Christ! I sinned a lot against the saint of God Macarius and brought his wrath upon me by hiding his relics in the ground. And for the parts taken away from the relics, I suffered a lot, and only through his prayers did I get rid of death. Pray for me before God and his saint Macarius, may I accept forgiveness in my sins.

    Why didn’t Patriarch Joachim, in the presence of the obvious miracles of St. Macarius, order the relics to be taken out and placed on top of the ground? The manuscript of the Unzhensky Monastery indicates that this depended on the definition of the Bishops' Council. “Even the bodies of the imperishable, it is said there, found in the present times, do not command to dare soon, except for a reliable testimony and a conciliar command, in the holy veneration. And where such holy bodies appear, and about such, you commanded to test in every possible way and testify with reliable testimonies before the great and perfect council of bishops. But since it was impossible, or very difficult, for the bishops’ cathedral to gather in the Unzhensky deserted place, the patriarch, confident in the incorruptibility of the miraculous relics of St. Macarius, ordered only to build a tomb over them and render them proper veneration. And hegumen Nikita, for his unauthorized order, remained until his death in the Zheltovodsky monastery.

    Thus, from the time of the discovery of the relics in 1671, accompanied by miracles, in the Unzha Monastery, the memory of St. Macarius, except for July 25, began to be celebrated on October 12, as the day of finding his relics. Now the holy relics of the saint of God rest in a rich silver reliquary, with a gilded copper lattice, inside the Makarievskaya Cathedral Church, behind a pillar on the right side, under a magnificent carved, gilded canopy.

    In the Kaluga region, not far from the ancient city of Kozelsk, there is Optina Pustyn - a monastery, which is rightfully called the brightest lamp of Orthodox Rus' in the 19th and 20th centuries. It owes its glory to the God-wise elders, who, replacing each other, became several generations of Russians. Saint Macarius of Optina was one of them.

    Abode among dense forests

    The time of creation is not exactly known. According to one version, this honor belongs to the God-loving Prince Vladimir the Brave, who died at the beginning of the 15th century, and according to another, and more popular among the people, the founder of the monastery was a certain robber named Opta, who repented of his atrocities, who lived a century later.

    However, apparently, this is just a beautiful legend, since in ancient times the word “opta” was used to refer to monasteries common to men and women (there was such a thing in Orthodox Rus'). The founders of the monastery, probably, were hermits who wanted to retire to the wilderness in order to accomplish a monastic feat.

    And this holy monastery would have been lost in history among thousands of similar monasteries, if not for the glory that the godly elders brought to it. To make it clearer what we are talking about, we should dwell on the phenomenon of religious life, which is usually denoted by the word "eldership."

    Elderhood as a form of spiritual service

    It arose in Egypt at the dawn of Christianity and from there spread throughout the world, finding fertile ground for itself in Russia. An elder is, first of all, a mentor of his spiritual children, of whom he can have a great many. By virtue of the Grace of God, generously poured out on him by the Creator, the elder acquires the gifts of divine wisdom and clairvoyance.

    These unique qualities allow him to help people who turn to him in difficult life situations, or who are thirsty to hear the word of God's Truth. An elder is by no means always an elderly person, since the term itself does not mean an age characteristic, but a form of spiritual service.

    Throughout its history, the Lord sent fourteen such elders, the first of which was the Monk Leo, who labored in it from 1797. The Monk Macarius of Optina, who will be discussed in our article, became his disciple and successor.

    The childhood and youth of God's servant Michael

    Elder Macarius of Optina was called Mikhail Nikolaevich in the world. He was born on December 3, 1788 in a pious and devout family of nobles from His parents - father, collegiate assessor Nikolai Mikhailovich Ivanov and mother Elizaveta Alekseevna, were wealthy people, and owned several estates. In addition to him, there were four more children in the family.

    As he told later, many of his childhood memories are connected with the Odrinsky monastery, located not far from them, where his parents often made pilgrimages. The rector of the monastery, Archimandrite Feofan, who instilled in the boy a love for church services, had a great influence on the formation of his character in those years.

    At the age of nine, Misha Ivanov experienced the first misfortune in his life - the death of his mother, who died of tuberculosis. This happened in Moscow, where the whole family moved specifically to provide Elizaveta Alekseevna with proper medical care. Returning to his homeland after such a tragic event, he, along with his two brothers, settled in the estate of his aunt, his father's sister, Daria Mikhailovna Peredelskaya.

    A young and promising official

    In the person of this woman, the teenagers found not only a caring relative who tried her best to replace the mother of the orphans, but also a mentor who took on the work, as well as the costs associated with their education. She taught a number of disciplines herself, and where her knowledge was insufficient, she hired teachers.

    It seems incredible, but the future elder Macarius of Optinsky was so gifted with reason from childhood that at the age of fourteen he was accepted into the service of the county treasury as an accountant. His brothers were also enrolled as assistants. However, this fact has documentary evidence, so there is no reason to doubt its reliability.

    In 1805, the work of the young official was duly appreciated by the provincial authorities, and he received a promotion and rank. Following the traditions established in the noble society of that time, Mikhail Nikolayevich led the usual secular life in such cases. He often visited the houses of the local aristocracy, among which he was warmly received, and also participated in all entertainment events.

    According to the memoirs of contemporaries, his main hobbies of those years were music and literature. Few people know that St. Macarius of Optina, in his youth, played the violin very well and sang romances in a slight but very pleasant baritone.

    Awakening religious feelings

    A year later, Mikhail Nikolayevich suffered a new blow - his father died suddenly. At the family council, it was decided that the estates belonging to the family should go to him, as the eldest of the children, but the income from them will be their common capital. This imposed a certain responsibility, and was the reason that in 1805 Mikhail left the service and, having settled in the village of Shchepyatino, took up farming. He devoted all his free time, as before, to reading and music.

    During this period of life, spent in the bosom of rural silence and solitude, the seeds of religiosity, which were once sown in his soul, gave abundant shoots. Mikhail Nikolaevich, according to his own recollections, increasingly began to immerse himself in thoughts about the salvation of the soul and reading the Bible. Once, having visited the fair, he brought back many books containing the works of the holy fathers, which completely captured his thoughts.

    In vain, caring relatives tried to marry the young landowner, finding him a good bride. Using a plausible pretext, he evaded the marriage that was being forced on him, because he was becoming stronger and stronger in the desire to devote his life to God.

    The decision to leave the world was not spontaneous and matured gradually. This is evidenced by his letters, preserved from those ancient years, as well as the memoirs of contemporaries who knew Mikhail Nikolayevich well in those years. The decisive step, which determined the rest of his life, the future Elder Macarius of Optinsky took on October 6, 1806, going on a pilgrimage to the Ploschanskaya Hermitage, very remote from his village.

    Novice Michael

    He never returned home, but after a while the brothers received a letter. In it, Mikhail Nikolaevich announced that he would remain a novice in the monastery, and transfer the estate and all other property to them in full ownership. So, unexpectedly for everyone, at the age of twenty-two, he left the world forever.

    The Bogoroditsky Ploschansky Monastery, in which Saint Macarius of Optina began the path of serving God, corresponded to his intentions in the best possible way. Remote at a considerable distance from settlements and surrounded on all sides by forests, it was ideally suited for monastic solitude. Not receiving any serious material assistance from the Holy Synod and the diocesan administration, the brethren, who at that time numbered fifty souls, did not need anything, getting a piece of bread by their own labor.

    According to the Church charter, each newcomer must pass a certain test before being accepted, during which he is called a novice and, if desired, can leave the monastery at any time. The term of this period is not set in advance and depends only on the will of the rector. Such an establishment serves to test the seriousness of the intentions of the future monk.

    Like every novice, St. Macarius of Optina began his monastic life by performing the most difficult and unpleasant work. He - a nobleman - had to deal with the preparation of firewood and cooking in the monastery kitchen in the winter, and in the summer with hay harvesting, gardening and other peasant affairs. As a result, this practice became for him a great school of humility, without which monastic life is inconceivable.

    Over time, hieromonk father Ioaniky noticed the outstanding musical abilities of the new novice, and also appreciated his education and diligence. He gave Mikhail Nikolayevich the opportunity to study and made him the clerk of the monastery, and over time he also entrusted the leadership of one of the departments of the monastery choir. After four years, the rector blessed the industrious novice to take tonsure with the name of Melchizedek.

    Four stages of monastic ascent

    There are four degrees of monasticism in Orthodoxy. The first of them, in which the future monk has the status of a novice, was discussed above. Next comes the so-called cassock. When tonsured into it, a worldly person is reborn into a monk. He receives a new name, makes special vows that he is not entitled to break, completely breaks all family ties, and, under pain of anathema, does not have the opportunity to return to his former way of life. Behind the cassock are a small schema, also called mantle monasticism, and a great schema - steps that further separate the monk from the vain world.

    Continuation of monastic service

    In 1814, the young monk Melchizedek made a pilgrimage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, visiting a number of other monasteries along the way and carefully studying the experience of monastic life accumulated in them. Upon returning to his monastery, he was tonsured to the next monastic degree - the mantle - and received the name Macarius in honor of the founder of Eastern monasticism, St. Macarius the Great.

    After spending ten years without a break within the walls of the Ploshchansky Monastery, Monk Macarius went to Rostov to venerate the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov, and on the way he visited Optina Hermitage for the first time, with which he was subsequently associated until the end of his days. But, this was preceded by another important period, which served as his formation as a spiritual mentor.

    In 1827, Macarius Optinsky was appointed confessor to the Sevsky Trinity Convent, and at the age of forty began to take care of his sisters. Hieromonk Leo, a wise and rich in life experience elder, who arrived from the Alexander-Svir monastery, rendered him invaluable help in this. With his leadership, he completed the spiritual development of Father Macarius.

    In the abode indicated by God

    Fulfilling the duties of the dean of the Ploschanskaya monastery later entrusted to him, Father Macarius was seconded to St. Petersburg in 1832 and, returning, again visited Optina Hermitage, but this time he did not limit himself to worshiping its shrines, but filed a request to be transferred to this ancient monastery. The answer had to be expected for quite a long time, but, finally, in January 1834, the diocesan leadership granted his request, and Father Macarius moved to the Forerunner Skete of Optina Hermitage, where he became involved in unceasing spiritual exploits until the end of his life.

    From the first days of his stay in a new place, Macarius of Optina became close friends with his former acquaintance, the confessor of the monastery, the Monk Leo, who was twenty years older than him. Despite the friendship that bound them, Father Macarius always treated him like a student to a teacher and unquestioningly submitted himself to complete obedience to his will.

    These two great ascetics and ascetics, who rightfully earned the fame of God-wise elders, daily received in their cells many people who came to them, and seven years before the death of the Monk Leo, they managed to beneficially feed not only the brethren of the monastery, but also thousands of laity.

    Through their joint labors, the next elder of the desert, who later became its main shrine, Macarius and Leo, in the words of his contemporaries, "raised him and, having become wise with the word of God, made him his worthy successor" ascended to the height of spiritual greatness.

    The gift of clairvoyance sent down from above

    After in 1841 the Lord called the Monk Leo to the Heavenly Hall, all the cares for feeding the large flock fell entirely on the shoulders of Father Macarius, and he honorably carried the cross laid on him. The teachings of Macarius of Optina, addressed in those years to many who were honored to visit the monastery, were not only passed from mouth to mouth, but for the most part were written down, which made it possible to later release them as a separate book, reprinted many times, and not losing its relevance today .

    The Lord generously poured out the gift of clairvoyance on Father Macarius. Many visitors were completely confused when, addressing them, he unmistakably called their names, which he could not know in advance. More surprising cases are also known. For example, feeding his children not only through personal contact, but also through correspondence, he sent answers to questions that had not yet been received more than once. As a result, the person who wrote to him received them at the same time as sending his message.

    Letters from the Elder and Miracles of Healing

    In general, correspondence was one of the most important areas of activity conducted by Macarius Optinsky. The soulful teachings with which the pages of his letters were full were the result of a deep understanding of the works of the holy fathers of the past, multiplied by personal life experience. They entered the treasury of Russian patristic literature.

    The letters of St. Macarius of Optina, which he sent out in great numbers to his acquaintances, and often to unfamiliar spiritual children, were of great benefit. In them, he touched on the most diverse aspects of life. For example, in one of them, sent to a person who complained about the many sorrows that had befallen him, he taught that everlasting happiness and prosperity harms a person’s soul, making it vulnerable to sins and temptations. Those to whom the Lord allows suffering in life, experiencing them, draw closer to Him and the easier it is to gain the Kingdom of Heaven.

    And here is another very interesting idea expressed by Macarius Optinsky. Letters addressed to him by one of the laity were full of lamentations that he, making every effort in the fight against vices and passions, does not see a positive result, and this leads him into confusion and deprives him of peace. The wise old man answered him that such a reaction to the lack of a quick reward for his labors, being the result of pride and self-love, only exacerbates the situation, and he should be grateful to the Lord, who does not allow him to see himself sinless, without achieving true righteousness.

    Numerous cases of healing the sick, and especially the demoniac, are also widely known, which occurred after the elder anointed them with oil from the inextinguishable lamp that always glows in his cell. That is why today the prayer of Macarius of Optina for deliverance from ailments has such a grace-filled power. Such facts are not only known, but also documented in many ways.

    Completion of a life path that has become a feat

    Saint Macarius of Optina spent twenty years in his modest cell, which was both a bedroom and a reception room. The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, a lectern, a desk and a narrow bed - that's all the decoration of his dwelling, the only decoration of which were portraits of ascetics hung on the walls and views of monasteries.

    Before completing his earthly journey and appearing before the Lord, Elder Macarius accepted the great schema, which, as mentioned earlier, is the highest stage of monastic feat. In a few more weeks, with amazing accuracy, he predicted the day and hour of his death, after which another ascetic of faith and God-wise mentor, Ambrose of Optina, took the spiritual torch from his hands. Macarius quietly and painlessly reposed in the Lord in the early morning of September 20, 1860.

    From the day of the funeral, the place of his burial began to enjoy universal reverence, but the elder was canonized as a saint only in 2000. Then all fourteen elders, who had once become tied up in the Predtechensky skete, were glorified, and together with them Macarius of Optina, whose life was compiled on the basis of the records of many contemporaries who spoke with him personally. Today he is one of the most famous and beloved among the people of the saints of the Orthodox Church. The day of St. Macarius of Optina is celebrated annually on September 20.