How often, when uttering some words, we do not think about their true meaning. Why is the word "reverend" added to the names of some saints? This question often arises among those who are just beginning to become attached to faith. So, let's figure it out.
Meaning of the word
The reverend is one of the categories, they are also called “faces,” into which it is customary to divide the saints depending on the deeds during their earthly life.
So what does the word "reverend" mean? This is the name of the holy monks who, through their lives and labors, tried to please God, become like him, and succeeded in this, therefore only monks exalted by the church could bear this title.
It is important to note that the reverends are such a unique phenomenon, which has no analogues in Christianity. Of course, in every rite of saints one can find many examples of god-likeness, but the reverend saints differed from the rest in a special, selfless desire to serve the Lord, distinguished by an extreme degree of self-denial. Having embarked on the path of asceticism, they renounced all earthly goods and fully devoted themselves to serving the Almighty.
The first examples of asceticism
Already during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire appeared people leading an ascetic lifestyle. In those days, their feat did not yet cause reverence and reverence, and glorification by the church could only be determined by their death in the name of Christ. Now those who combined the exploits of an ascetic and a martyr are called venerable martyrs.
First reverends
The first reverend monks were hermit monks of Egypt and Palestine. Thanks to them, monasticism spread throughout the world.
The first Russian reverend monks were Anton and Theodosius of the Caves. They founded the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and, despite the fact that they were not the first monks in Russia, since evidence of monastic life was found earlier, they are considered the founders of Russian monasticism.
Personality of Sergius of Radonezh
The revival of monastic life after the Mongol invasion was due to Sergius of Radonezh, who founded the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and left many students, who subsequently laid the foundations of new monasteries and raised new ascetics, revered. What does this truly legendary person mean for Russian Orthodoxy and the entire Russian state?
This Rev. Sergius and his associates laid the foundation for the revival of the spirituality of the Russian people. During the difficult trials that fell to the share of the Russian land, he managed to rally the people together and give impetus to the formation of the very “Russian spirit” that remains with our people until now.
His contribution to the formation of Russian statehood was also considerable, which, in the form in which we know it, begins precisely from the time of St. Sergius.
He showed the Russian people what the ideal of human life should be like, becoming an example for many generations. His influence on the Orthodox life of Russia is felt even now, seven centuries after his death.
Seraphim of Sarov
Another saint that cannot be ignored within the framework of the topic is the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, in the world Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin (Mashnin). He is the brightest representative of Russian Orthodoxy in the Synodal period, which lasted from 1700 to 1917.
Born into a pious and pious family, Prokhor from childhood was surrounded by miracles of God: he remained unharmed, falling from the bell tower of the church, and was healed of a serious illness after the Mother of God appeared to his mother.
By the age of seventeen, the lad finally decided to leave the worldly life and, after taking the tonsure and elevating him to the rank of hieromonk, chose the feat of desertification for himself. He settled by the Sarovka River in his own felled cell, where for many years he prayed and kept vows.
For his spiritual achievement, Seraphim was endowed with the gift of insight and wonderworking. From this moment, the period of retreat ends for him. He begins to accept everyone who needs his help, helps with advice, heals, prophesies and works miracles.
With his edifications based on Holy Scripture and the teachings of the saints, he converted many who were astray into the true faith and called upon all who came to him to keep faith in God.
He died in 1833 in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness,” with which he prayed all his life. With the death of Seraphim the miracles performed by him did not end, and people continued to come to his grave for help, carefully collecting all the evidence of his intercession. In 1903, at the request of Nicholas II, Seraphim of Sarov was counted among the saints.
His humility, understanding of the divine essence of all trials, spiritual achievement and love for people made the Monk Seraphim the greatest ascetic of Russia, whose name is still revered, and people today come to his relics for help and protection.
Optina Elders
One cannot ignore one of the spiritual centers of Russian Orthodoxy - Optina deserts. It is difficult to overestimate its significance in the history of Russia.
As a unique example of spiritual rebirth, the monastery was distinguished by a special kind of monastic activity - senility. Optina's monks were endowed with the gifts of insight, healing and miracles. They were true spiritual teachers.
The destruction of the monastery by the Bolsheviks
The revolution of 1917 burned out everything that constituted the cultural and spiritual basis of the state, the Bolsheviks and Optina monastery did not spare it. The new government was hostile to Orthodoxy, seeing in it a threat to the new state system.
Therefore, Optina deserts was gradually forgotten, which allowed the Bolsheviks to close the monastery without any threat to their political reputation. This happened in 1923. A sawmill was set up in its buildings, and the monastery was given over to a rest house. Many elders were persecuted, foolish.
The monastery was revived in 1987, when the state returned to the Russian Orthodox Church all that was left of the monastery at that time. The restoration of the monastery began, and already in 1988, services were held in its gate church and Vvedensky Cathedral.
In the same year, Ambrose Optinsky, the first of fourteen elders, was glorified by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1996, the remaining thirteen elders were counted among the locally revered saints, and in 2000 they were glorified for general church veneration.
Now the monastery is conducting educational work, it has its own publishing house, a site has appeared where you can find out its history, get advice. And every day, like the old, the gates of the monastery are open to numerous groups of pilgrims.
The tradition of veneration of reverends
If you look at the church calendar, you can hardly find in it at least one day in which you would not remember the reverend saint. It often happens that several names are celebrated on the same day. That is why it is rather difficult to talk about veneration of the reverends. We will do this on the example of the most famous reverends - Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh.
According to statistics and the site "Temples of Russia", on October 22, 2017 Seraphim of Sarov dedicated 303 churches throughout Russia, Sergius of Radonezh - 793.
It is worth noting that this information can not be considered absolutely accurate, since statistics take into account unreconstructed and under construction churches, churches that can be run by Old Believers, as well as chapels and house temples. For example, such as the temple of Seraphim of Sarov, located on the territory of the Research Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery in Moscow. The temple is located in one of the buildings of the institute and does not have its own building.