It so happened from time immemorial that in Russia the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh enjoys special honor . What do they pray in front of her and hope for, raising their petitions to this saint, whose name is inextricably linked with the beginning of the formation of Russian spirituality in the years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke? This article is dedicated to the answers to these questions.
The Testimony of St. Epiphanius
Before starting a conversation about what Sergius of Radonezh helps in all those who flow to him with prayer and hope, we will dwell briefly on the circumstances of the earthly life of this greatest saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. The main and most authoritative source of information on this issue is a life compiled shortly after the death of the reverend by his closest disciple, Epiphanius the Wise, who also acquired the crown of holiness after his death.
The Monk Epiphanius narrates that on May 3, 1314, God granted the pious spouses Cyril and Mary a son who was called Yarfolomey in holy baptism. They lived in the village of Varnitsa near Rostov and belonged to the number of noble and respected boyars. Their child, the Lord, predicted to become a “spiritual collector” of the Russian people, embodying the ideal of Holy Russia.
God's Chosen One
The life says that even before the birth of the baby, indisputable signs of his chosenness were revealed. So, during the Divine Liturgy, the mother distinctly heard a three-time exclamation coming from her womb at the most crucial moments of the service. Having been born, he flatly refused to accept mother's breasts on Wednesday and Friday, as well as on soon days, if she ate meat.
A great event happened in the life of the youth Bartholomew (future Rev. Sergius) when he was seven years old. Put into teaching along with his two brothers Stefan and Peter, for a long time he could not learn to read, although he made considerable efforts to do so. What did St. Sergius of Radonezh pray at that time? Of course, about sending him “book understanding,” and the all-merciful Lord heeded his prayers.
The gift of God's messenger
Once the angel of God appeared in the form of a monk to the lad and, blessing, informed that from now on he would be given the grace not only of comprehension, but also of the interpretation of Holy Scripture, and by his wisdom he would gain glory for centuries. The angel predicted to Bartholomew's parents that their son was destined to become the "chosen abode of the Holy Spirit."
It is no coincidence that today, among all the things that Sergius of Radonezh is praying for, an important place is occupied by requests for the granting of success in studies, since in adolescence he comprehended a letter only by God's grace, asking him to stand on his knees in front of holy images. The text of one of these prayers is given in our article and can serve as an illustration of all the above. It also contains other requests addressed to St. Sergius, which will be discussed below.
Young hermits
When Bartholomew was 14 years old, their family moved to Radonezh, where the young man regularly attended church and continued to grow spiritually. A few years later, the Lord called his heavenly houses to his parents, who had been tonsured at the Khotkovsky monastery before his death. Shortly before this, Bartholomew's older brother, Stephen, became a monk.
Having buried their parents and wishing to completely surrender to the service of God, the brothers retired to desertification, having built a cell in the forest near Radonezh. They also erected a small wooden church, then consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. However, after some time, Stefan began to be weighed down by a hermit life and, leaving his brother, settled in the Moscow Epiphany Monastery.
Bartholomew continued to carry on the feat he had previously taken, and in October 1337 he accepted the angelic rank (as they used to say about those who tonsured monks) taking the name of the holy martyr Sergius. Resisting the fears imposed on him by demons, and fighting temptations, he "ascended from strength to strength."
Listing everything that Sergius of Radonezh is praying for, it is imperative to mention those lines from the prayer given in the article, where he is asked to look at the “adherents” to the earth and elevate them to heavenly heights. Such a petition was not included by chance, because it was precisely this that the saint accomplished in his earthly life, having rejected her vain joys from himself and elevating his spirit to the heights of the mountains. It is customary to pray for the gift of the same powers in front of him in an honest manner. But continuing the story, we will return to the wilderness of the Radonezh forests.
Monastic Brotherhood
Gradually, the locals, as well as the monks of nearby monasteries, learned about the spiritual feats of the hermit, and began to come to him for help and instructions. Some of them, also wanting to embark on the path of service to God, asked for permission to stay, and soon a small fraternity consisting of 12 monks was formed of them.
At first, it was incredibly difficult for them in the new and so unusual conditions for them, but the reverend by his example multiplied their strength, and preaching exalted the spirit. “Strengthen our cowardice and establish us in the faith,” - today Sergius of Radonezh is praying for this and hoping for the fulfillment of what is asked, seeing an example of how he helped in these twelve monks who once joined him among the deaf Radonezh forests.
In the rank of abbot
In 1354, with the blessing of the Bishop of Volyn Athanasius, St. Sergius officially headed the monastery founded by him and was elevated to the rank of abbot. Since that time, the number of monks began to increase rapidly, as a good rumor spread about him all over the region. As before, people came here to hear the word of God and get clarifications on all religious issues.
Teaching people the basics of true faith, the illustrious abbot proved himself to be an unsurpassed teacher. That is why, listing everything that St. Sergius of Radonezh is praying for, spiritual shepherds strongly recommend resorting to his help in school, or, as stated in the prayer above, ask for "the gift to understand science." This has already been mentioned by us, although in connection with a different period of the saint's life.
The foundation of the new monastery
The fame of the ascetic life and spiritual exploits of St. Sergius took on such a wide scope that it soon reached Byzantium, and the Patriarch of Constantinople Filofei, blessing him with new exploits, sent him monastic vestments and a pectoral cross. He accompanied his gift with a letter in which he gave several tips regarding the organization of the life of the monastery. However, the implementation of the patriarchal order caused discontent among the brethren, who complained of the exorbitant severity of the proposed charter.
In order not to force them to bear the “excessive cross”, the Monk Sergius left the monastery and, settling on the banks of the Kerzhach River, founded a new monastery there, in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, the monastery that he had left began to decline rapidly, and the bishop of Moscow Alexy ordered him to return to his former place, which the saint completed and entrusted a new monastery to his disciple, the Monk Roman.
The miracles of the reverend revealed by him during his lifetime
Continuing the conversation about what Sergius of Radonezh helps in, it is necessary to mention the miracles revealed to him by the grace of God, which he was honored for the strict observance of the commandments and pastoral works. The life tells of the numerous healings of the afflicted, who turned to him for help, and even the resurrection from the dead youth, whom his father mourned, considering it forever lost. That is why it is customary to offer prayers for the deliverance from "ailments and bitter illnesses" in front of the icon of St. Sergius, asking for health for themselves and their loved ones.
Many other miracles are also known, thanks to which the abbot of the forest monastery was revered among the people along with the saints of past centuries. However, he was weighed down by worldly fame and often forbade the brethren to tell outsiders about a lot of what they witnessed. So, only after his death, the monks told the world how once in the liturgy their abbot was consecrated by an angel of the Lord. Another time, Abba Sergius, in the presence of his disciple - the Monk Micah, was honored to visit the Blessed Virgin Mary, accompanied by the apostles Peter and John the Theologian. That is why among all that Sergius of Radonezh prays for, an important place is occupied by requests for intercession to the Mother of God and Her Eternal Son.
Refusal of the priesthood
The humility of St. Sergius was so deep that he did not allow him to accept the proposal of Metropolitan Alexy, who was completing his earthly journey, and to head the Moscow Metropolis after his death. He was abhorred by such a high honor of the high priest, associated with the acceptance of numerous honors and the wearing of such symbols of power as the golden cross, precious panagia and the staff. This also implies another important element that is on the list of what Sergius of Radonezh is praying for - this is the gift of humility, without which, as you know, it is impossible to acquire the Kingdom of God.
Mastermind of the Great Victory
The years of earthly life of Sergius of Radonezh coincided with the most difficult period of Russian history, known as the Tatar-Mongol yoke. This gave his activity as the spiritual leader of the nation a special meaning, and it is no coincidence that the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy came to him for a blessing before the Battle of Kulikovo.
Having blessed the prince and all his army, the monk sent with them to the field of battle two of his monks - the schemas of Oslyabyu and Peresvet. He predicted that the victory, although it would go with great blood, would certainly be with the Russian squads. As you know from history, it all happened.
On a fine autumn day, September 8, 1380, the squads of Dmitry Donskoy routed and routed the hordes of the invincible Khan Mamaia before. From the morning before sunset, the monks of the monastery, together with their abbot, knelt before the holy images. Sergius of Radonezh prayed during the Battle of Kulikovo to send victory to the Orthodox army, and was heard. Since then, his name is inextricably linked with this heroic page of Russian history. He completed his earthly journey on September 25 (present time), 1392.
How to pray to Sergius of Radonezh?
On the pages of the holy gospel, Jesus Christ teaches that everyone will be rewarded according to his faith, since prayer without it is dead. This is one of the truths upon which all service to God and His heavenly powers rests. The words "according to your faith will be yours" are relevant, regardless of which of the representatives of the upper world our prayers are addressed. Therefore, it is important to understand that in this case the slightest doubt about the attainability of what is asked can nullify all the previously applied works, even in those cases when we are well aware of what Sergius of Radonezh helps in.
Reviews, which are often found both in guestbooks of monasteries and on the Internet, are vivid confirmation of this. Women talk about how, thanks to a deep faith in the help of the holy saint of God, through prayers to him, they got rid of serious illnesses that faced modern medicine with powerlessness. And there are many such revelations, because the people strongly trust in St. Sergius of Radonezh, one of the most revered saints in our country.