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Miracles of Saint Nektarios

Countless are the miracles performed by St. Nectarius and not stopping from the moment of his dormition. We would not have enough time or paper to list them alone. And yet we will talk about several of them - from among the old and recent.

In January 1925, a godly girl was suddenly subjected to incredibly painful attacks from a spirit of malice. When the name of the Saint was mentioned, the enemy raged, insulted and tormented poor creature God's. Unable to bear the suffering of their daughter, the parents decided to take the unfortunate woman to the Saint’s grave on the day of Pentecost in the hope that there she would receive deliverance.

While they were getting to Aegina, the demon went completely berserk. In the monastery, the nuns were forced to tie the girl to one of the pine trees growing near the grave. There, thanks to the intercession of the Saint, the demon came out of the sufferer, who then accepted monasticism under the name of Metrodora.

In 1931, a young couple came to the monastery to baptize a child, who was dedicated to St. Nectaria. These parents already had two children born paralyzed. The first was still alive, but the second died. The third, who was brought to be baptized, was also born paralyzed. Discouraged and heartbroken, the parents went to fetch oil from the Saint’s lamp, with which they anointed their youngest child, promising the saint. Nectarius to baptize him in the monastery and name him in honor of the Saint. How can we tell about the miraculous power of Christ? Immediately after the third dive, the child was pulled out of the water completely healthy. He is still in full and perfect health.

Another child, a sleepwalker from birth, who suffered up to ten seizures a day, was healed by the Saint in 1933. His parents, who had reached complete despair, arrived in Aegina to get oil from the Saint’s lamp, anointed him, and when they showed him the icon they had bought at the monastery, he exclaimed: “Father” and venerated the image. Since then he has lived in good health to the great joy of his parents and to the glory of God, “Wonderful in His saints.”

In 1934, an educated girl from Thessalonica who practiced reading Holy Scripture and prayer, one fine day she fell into melancholy, losing the ability to utter anything other than the words “Woe! Woe! Woe!”

The mother was dismayed by the unexpected change in her daughter’s condition. She blessed her with holy icons, but the girl refused to venerate them, shouting: “This is fire! This is fire!”, and did not want to make the sign of the cross. She was taken by force to the church, but even there she found no peace, continuing to whisper: “Woe! Woe! This is fire! Let's go, let's get out of here!”

By the time the cup was taken out, she was overcome with trembling and trembling. It was impossible for her to open her mouth; she turned her face away. With great difficulty we managed to give her communion, but... she rejected the Holy Gifts.

Desperate, deciding that their daughter was suffering from some kind of nervous disease, her parents put her to bed psychiatric clinic. However, her health condition not only did not improve, but worsened. The girl was taken to Athens in the hope of finding more qualified doctors there. On the way to the capital, the parents met people who felt that their daughter was suffering from a mental illness and that rather than medical treatment she needed God's help. They told their mother:

Your daughter is not suffering from nerves, as you think, but is possessed by the spirit of malice; she needs proofreading and blessed oil. On Aegina there is convent, which contains the relics of St. Nectarius of Pentapolis, founder of the monastery. He works miracles all the time. Take her there. The saint will definitely take pity on her and you and heal her.

Believing them, the parents brought their daughter to Aegina on April 29 of the same year. The matter turned out to be not so simple. Arriving at the monastery, the girl refused to venerate the relics. She was anointed with oil from a lamp. With great difficulty the priest managed to read the prayer. The patient raged all night. In the morning, six nuns, barely restraining her, took the sufferer to church, where she began shouting the same words: “Woe! Woe! Woe! Fire!" At the moment of communion, new efforts were needed. For a whole month, the priest read a prayer over her every day. Truly the ways of the Lord are mysterious. On May 28, the day of the Holy Trinity and the patronal feast of the monastery, the girl got up in the morning on her own and, completely calm and collected, went to church and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. She was completely healthy.

In a dream, the Saint appeared to her, serving the Liturgy. He called her to him, blessed her and said:

You are healed.

She lived in the monastery until the first of July and left free from her illness, thanking God and His glorious saint.

The sponge catchers on Aegina once, before setting out to sea, prayed to their patron saint and promised to present him with the first sponge they caught in exchange for his blessing. All sponges caught that day were marked with the sign of the Cross. We saw these sponges, donated to the monastery and displayed in the window of the Saint’s cell.

Father Nektarios from Paros told us the story of a bus driver who lost his sight during an accident. Once passing by the Holy Trinity Monastery, the brave driver crossed himself and prayerfully said:

My Saint Nektarios, return the light to me and I will give you everything I have with me!

The unfortunate man immediately regained his sight. How could the Saint, say the nuns, not heal him when he helped the monastery transport parcels every day!

“I told about this miracle,” continues Father Nektariy, “to the owner of the Aegina cafe “Athea.” He reacted like this:

Dear brother, we have stopped being surprised here, because miracles happen every day!”

Yes, St. Nectary works miracles every day, and not only in Aegina, but all over the world, in France, in America...

“In 1949,” writes M.K., “in Greece, I underwent surgery for cancer at the St. Sabbas Cancer Hospital in Athens.” I had my uterus removed. At the end of the treatment, the doctor happily announced to me that I was out of danger. “Don't be afraid of anything,” he said. “But if you ever see bleeding, know that your end is near, since this will mean a relapse of the disease.”

Eight years have passed. In May 1957, I felt new pain in my stomach. One evening the bleeding started. The end was approaching, I sat on the bed and did not sleep all night, crying in despair.

This morning my sister and her husband visited me. She has just returned from Aegina, where she went for Easter. Seeing me unhappy, my sister began to find out the reason for my condition, her husband also insisted that I tell everything. I explained to them the reason for my despair, but my sister did not show any surprise or embarrassment; on the contrary, she great faith and with courage she told me that she was confident in the intercession of Saint Nektarios:

Don’t be afraid of anything, sister, because you believe in God and know about the many miracles that St. performed in our family. Nectary.

At the same time, she took out from her bag a bottle of oil from the Saint’s lamp, which she had brought from Aegina, and, handing it to me, said:

Take the oil, pray to the Saint, and he will heal you. For my part, I will also pray to him. Anoint your belly with oil and be sure that you will get better.

I followed my sister’s advice, asking the Saint for help, and - oh, miracle! From that moment on, the pain subsided and the bleeding stopped. From then until today(1962) I am absolutely healthy.

Blessed be the name of St. Nectaria! May these indisputable facts help many, many people to return to God, strengthening in them an unshakable faith in His omnipotence, in His Love and Providence and in the intercession of His saints, through whom He sends us healing of soul and body...”

K.S., a resident of the island of Lesvos, says that in January 1963, the disease in her right eye was getting worse every day. In a short time she completely stopped seeing them. “Imagine my misfortune,” she says. “I cried like a child at the thought that I might no longer be able to care for my paralyzed daughter. I went to Athens, where friends took me for an examination at the Frederica eye clinic. X-ray showed hemorrhage. The eye was incurable. I was taken to another clinic, the name of which I don’t remember. Six doctors and a professor examined me again and said that they could not help. Saddened and losing all hope, I returned to Lesvos, afraid of losing my left eye. In October, I decided to go to Mytilene (the capital of the island of Lesvos) in the hope of seeing other doctors, maybe...

On Sunday I went to church, where after the Liturgy I came across the newspaper “Saint Marin” (this small newspaper often talks about the miracles of St. Nektarios), which my paralyzed daughter and I constantly read. That day we read it with great concentration. Was it because I was planning to go the next day to Mytilene or because of my deep faith in St. Nectarius, in any case, I knelt down in front of the holy icons and began to pray to him with hot tears:

Saint Nektarios, I honor you and believe that if you want, you can heal me, although I am a poor sinner. I will thank you...

I fell asleep in peace, confident that the Saint had heard my prayer. Waking up early in the morning, I opened my eyes and, lo and behold, I saw with both eyes. I stood up and, giving thanks, anointed my eye three times in a cross shape with oil from the lamp. Some very cold liquid, like water, flowed out of it. It flowed for a very long time, then I felt that my eye seemed to be “unfreezing.” Since then I can sew and knit again and couldn’t be happier.

I thank St. Nektarios and I praise the Lord, who commanded the Saint to heal me...”

The Bishop of Gortyn and Arkadia from the island of Crete talks about the miracle performed by St. Nectarius in his diocese in May 1965.

“The deepest excitement,” he writes, “grasped the whole of Massara after the undeniable and authentic miracle performed by St. Nectarius. Many, having heard about it, will begin to frown, expressing doubts and lack of faith. Others may smile and talk skeptically about miracles, saints, and God. Some will argue that all this is “an invention of priests deceiving ordinary people.”

Doctors talk about cases where, as a result of the intervention of some force, health is restored. There are, however, many organic diseases that cannot be cured. Science admits its powerlessness here and remains silent. True, the worm of doubt gnaws at human thought, because it lacks living, sincere faith. It is then that a miracle occurs, going beyond the senses and empirical data and forcing us to recognize the existence of the invisible spiritual world, which thus becomes tangible and real.

The kind mother of the family, Maria R., lives with her husband K., smart and a brave man working hard to earn bread for their children.

Maria has been sick for a whole year now terrible disease heads. Wild pains torment her to such an extent that her screams can be heard in neighboring houses. The disease also affected the lungs. Science has confirmed these facts. The doctor sent the patient to his colleagues in Heraklion (the capital of Crete), and they, in turn, sent her to the Athens Oncology Clinic “St. Sabbes”. According to the examination and analysis, there was no hope for healing: the disease was too advanced. On the advice of doctors, the husband brought his wife home and prepared for the worst. Maria fell ill with unbearable pain.

On the evening of May 18, someone knocked on the door of the Metropolis. I opened it to see who had arrived. Maria and her husband stood in front of me. Shocked, she told me that she was healed. She ran to me as if she had never been sick at all. Sitting down and crossing herself, she told me the story of her healing:

Kostya left the house to do some shopping. I told him not to linger, because it seemed to me from the terrible pain that the end was approaching. I prayed non-stop to St. Nectarius, so that he would heal me or take my life, because I was going crazy from pain.

Suddenly I saw some shadow entering the door. I thought it was my husband. The shadow approached me, but I could not discern who it was because my vision was blurred. Then I heard a voice telling me: “Get up, go to church and ring the bell. To everyone who asks you why you are calling, answer: St. Nectarius healed you.”

The pain suddenly subsided, I felt a huge surge of strength. Without any difficulty, I got out of bed, started walking and, as you can see, I walk perfectly...

We all went to the church where the icon of the Saint is located and served a thanksgiving prayer service there, glorifying the Lord and His saint.”

During the time of the Saint, there lived an atheist gendarme on Aegina. St. Nektarios exhorted him, persuading him to believe in God, repent, confess, come to church and receive communion. But the gendarme remained unshakable in his disbelief.

He was once sent by his ministry to Macedonia for twelve years. Returning to Aegina, he met the saint at the port, who renewed his exhortations, in vain, as before.

Once in a cafe with friends, the gendarme told them:

Surprisingly, the abbot of the Trinity Monastery is still alive!

Which abbot? - they asked him.

Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery...

So he died three years ago.

“What are you telling me,” answered the shocked gendarme, “I just saw him at the port and talked with him...

Everyone was gripped by sacred fear. Needless to say, the unbelieving gendarme immediately hurried to the monastery...

In Paris, the wife of one of our priests, who had suffered for many years from incurable headaches, received relief from a single anointing with oil from the Saint’s lamp, and later the illness weakened and disappeared.

The wife of one of our deacons was healed of fibroma, thus avoiding surgical intervention. It only took a few anointings to heal.

A certain man was healed twice by St. Nectarius, which appeared to him in a dream, which caused great surprise to the doctor who was about to operate on the patient.

One of our nuns, who lives in constant communion with the Heavenly Bridegroom in unceasing prayer, once asked St. Nektaria to help her find a way out of a difficult situation. At dawn she dreamed of him, handing her a piece of bread with the words:

Take it, it's joy!

The next day, all her difficulties were solved much easier than she could have expected.

Another time she prayed the whole night for the whole world and for many suffering souls, begging St. Nectarius to cover all the unfortunate with his blessing.

She dreamed of him again, dressed in bishop's robes. In a very soft voice he told her:

I have a burning desire to help people... for I see Christ... He is still crucified.

I am present in the world with my relics... may the priest who knows me bless everyone who comes for relief, cleansing, forgiveness... My relics are my stole.

And there are many, many more cases that, due to lack of space, we cannot talk about in this book.

Every day throughout every year, overcoming a variety of obstacles, pilgrims come to Aegina. Ordinary people, intellectuals, officials... There are many people here with nervous diseases, epileptics, hysterics... They also come here to find peace of their conscience, to find solutions to complex problems, a way out financial difficulties. And no one leaves without results. Some pilgrims crawl on their knees, come barefoot and spend whole days in fasting, and nights in prayer, and cry. Often the silence here is broken by poorly controlled sobs...

The saint said to his spiritual daughters:

The day will come when many will come here. Some to glorify God, others for comfort and healing, others out of curiosity...

“Nectarios became a saint,” writes the abbot from Paros, “from among so many thousands of people, bishops, priests, hieromonks, monks, and laity. Why does God, who loves all people and wants everyone to be saved, so that everyone can be saints and gods by grace, not give His grace to others so that they too can become saints? My dears, God offers His benefits to everyone, gives them free of charge to everyone. But because He is just, He does not give them to those who are not worthy of them, but only to those who deserve them. He gives them to those who struggle to obtain them, and not to indifferent and dismissive people. He gives them to pious people who fear Him, love Him and keep His commandments, and not to the atheists, the proud, the unfaithful and those who depart from His Divine commandments. He gives them to those who fast, who are abstinent, who pray: “The gifts of heaven are obtained by fasting, vigil and prayer.” The Lord gives His gifts to those who possess three great virtues: humility, faith, love.”

These three virtues adorned Nectarius and revealed him to the saints. To whom will I look: to him who is humble and contrite in Spirit and who trembles before by my word, - says the Lord (Isa. 66: 2). And Solomon says that God resists the proud and is merciful to the humble. The Lord turned His gaze to the Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary. He looked upon the humility of His servant...(Luke 1:48). The Lord looked upon the humility of the holy prophets, apostles and all saints and made them chosen vessels and instruments of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord saw Nektarios’ humility. And made him a saint. He also saw his true, strong and unshakable faith, which permeated all his writings in defense of the Orthodox Faith. This faith made him a miracle worker. Those who believed, says the Lord, These signs will accompany you: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; lay hands on the sick and they will recover(Mark 16, 17–18).

On September 2, 1953, at the direction of the Saint, the grave was opened. Only the skeleton remained. The Lord wanted the bones and relics of His saint to be distributed throughout the world as a sign of blessing. Blessed be the name of the Lord, for we too have received, thanks to Mother Magdalene, our share of this blessing. A silver miter was placed on the skull, and the bones were folded into a large reliquary. The fragrance spread that day to the entire monastery and the entire surrounding area.

When we arrived in Aegina on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, we felt a fragrance coming from the now empty tomb. The nun who accompanied us explained to us that this was a sign of the kind reception that the Saint gave to those who came to him with faith and piety. It was an amazing smell of incense combined with the smell of vanilla, white iris - a whole rainbow of aromas.

According to the Monk Simeon the New Theologian, the soul, which has become worthy to participate in God's grace, sanctifies its entire body, for it is she who preserves it, being present in all its members. Just as the grace of the Holy Spirit takes possession of the soul, so the soul takes possession of the body. But as long as the soul is united with the body, the Holy Spirit does not elevate the entire body in the name of its own glory, for it is necessary for the soul to manifest its will until the very end of earthly life. When death occurs, and the soul is separated from its body and, victorious, receives the crown of glory as a reward, then the grace of the Holy Spirit takes possession of the whole body, as well as the soul. Then the remains of the saints work miracles and heal diseases.

When the soul is separated from the body at the moment of death, it remains completely in the Divine, that is, in the grace of God. As for the body, it remains without a soul, but with God, and shows people miracles - divine energy. The soul and body, after being freed from all needs, from all vanity associated with their union, completely become God’s, and God’s grace acts in both one and the other, without encountering any obstacles. God makes them His own during their life, worthy of the God who lived in this world when they were united.

That is why everything that comes into contact with the relics receives a certain power, the grace of God, as is clear from the Acts of the Apostles: God worked many miracles with the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs and aprons from his body were placed on the sick, and their illnesses ceased, and evil spirits came out of them(Acts 19:11–12).

Recognized by the Orthodox people during the lifetime of Saint Nektarios, his holiness was soon recognized by the hierarchy. Forty years after his dormition, the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras confirmed the holiness of the Metropolitan of Pentapolis with a decree of April 20, 1961, signed by the entire Synod of the Church of Constantinople.

On November 5 of the same year, Aegina wrote a new glorious page in her golden book. The one whom he accepted dead on November 10, 1920, was carried with glory to the Aegina Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Monastery for the official act of proclaiming his holiness.

Thousands of believers poured onto the island. There was a strong storm that day, and the fragile ships plying between Piraeus and Aegina were in serious danger. But the Saint appeared to many and said:

Calm down, no one will die today.

The cortege set off from the monastery. The schoolchildren walked forward, followed by the male and female choirs. Then moved banners, standards, banners, a detachment of the Royal Navy, representatives of the Risari school. The nuns with a huge icon of the Saint, his miter, staff and other things walked in front of four priests, who carried a silver miter with the skull of the Saint on their shoulders. Other priests carried the reliquary.

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Saint Nektarios of Aegina

From 1904 to 1908, when Saint Nektarios himself settled in Aegina, as will be said, he corresponded with persons living in the Aegina Monastery. Most of the letters are addressed to Abbess Xenia. At the beginning, when they were not yet ryassophores, and their names did not change, he addressed everyone with famous phrase: “Children beloved in the Lord.” In his first letters, along with current affairs, he also wrote about the sermons that he gave in the Athenian temples. Of course, he wrote from memory. He preached sermons in the Athens Metropolitanate, in the churches of St. Demetrius, St. Luke and the Virgin Mary. His sermons are extremely spiritual in content, and the language in which he writes is simple Kafarevusa with words and expressions of the ancient Greek language. According to his custom, he used this language in his sermons, and here he uses it, for he spoke to more educated people. There are 135 letters in total. The nuns keep them as something sacred. We offer a choice of a few, so that the reader gets an idea of this side, since through them the Saint carried out his pastoral work.

Letters

Children beloved in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord.

With gratitude I announce to you that God revealed to us His divine will for the foundation of the Sacred Abode and deigned that this Sacred Abode should be re-erected and shine. His Eminence Metropolitan Mr. Theoclitus not only blessed the matter, but also took under his protection and agreed with all my thoughts and commandments that I presented to him, and told me that he would take care of her, and she would also be recognized by the Holy Synod as a Sacred Kolomanskaya monastery, and that after the restoration of the monastery he intends to send several reverend maidens from Sparta, and even agreed, at my suggestion, to visit both of us at the monastery.

I informed him of Alexandra’s desire to build a church and told him that on Holy Easter I would go to lay the foundation for it, and he accepted this word with satisfaction. From all this it is clear that God has been favorable and your prayers have been answered.

Accept my fatherly prayers and blessings and rejoice in the Lord.

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Children beloved in the Lord, rejoice. I received your letter dated December 8th and am happy about your health. Before this, I wrote you a letter and in it added the sermon that I spoke in Kαπνικαραίαν. In my last letter I wrote you two sermons, I believe that you were satisfied. Mrs. Filio or Katina carefully copied these sermons into a notebook so that you could have it as a book for ease of use, and the letters are preserved.

Yesterday Mrs. Elena came, accompanied by your friend Panagis, who asked me what my opinion was about the upcoming vigil on the day of the Nativity of Christ. My opinion is, as I told him, do not go, but remain vigilant in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord, who will fill your heart with spiritual joy.

Try to call the priest the day before so that he can come to the Monastery, perform the liturgy, and you will receive communion. In this regard, about Divine Communion, I inform you that the desire for frequent communion is good and holy, but, nevertheless, it must be filled with peace and equanimity and free from sorrow and oppression.

Know the following about this issue. Frequent communion is a consequence of constant liturgies, and constant liturgies are not a consequence of the desire for frequent communion. For liturgies are about divine gifts, divine grace, about salvation, about mercy, about blessing, about..., about..., and so on, and about the communion of those who are ready for communion, the communion of those worthy is a consequence and one of the many gifts given to man. Thus, the liturgy is not so that we simply receive communion, but so that the universe is sanctified, and we become participants in the sanctification. Therefore, when there is a liturgy, and we are ready for communion, we partake, but when we are not ready, we do not partake.

Therefore, the desire for frequent communion is righteous (conditional on) the celebration of the Divine Liturgies; That’s why it brings joy and joy. But when, due to reasons independent of the will of someone, this righteous desire cannot be fulfilled, and oppression and sorrow are born, then the one suffering from these blames himself, and it is possible that this desire is skillfully aroused by the adversary to leave the desert.

Know, then, that he who has received communion appropriately, and has come into the desert, has in his heart Christ who lives and speaks to him continually. No time is enough to alienate him from the Lord. No ascetic of the desert left the desert to go to the city to take communion, at least once a year. Those who receive communion have Christ constantly: those who partake often during the liturgy do not receive communion as those in need, not as alienated, but as those who keep the commandment, as those who express the desire to always be with Him, as those who seek sanctification and grace, not as those who are not with Him or who are not sanctified, but as those who have been pardoned, they want, when performing the Sacraments, to be participants and communicants of the Body and Blood of Christ.

I tell you this briefly, so that you are not embarrassed and grieved because of the rare communion. Christ lives in your heart. God has had mercy on you, you enjoy His mercy and rejoice in the desert. Cast your care on the Lord, knowing that God provides for you. Do not be cowardly and do not be embarrassed by anything, even by the deprivation of Divine Communion. He who knows the hearts and the womb knows the desires of your hearts and is able to grant them, just as He knows. You ask Him, and do not be cowardly, do not think that because your desire is sacred, you, having the right to complain, remain unheard. God fulfills them in mysterious ways. Have mercy and call on God.

Your life is Christian wisdom. A wise man is never embarrassed. A wise thought is the main sign of your life. I don’t want you to grieve and be embarrassed because of what is happening against your will, no matter how righteous it may be, for sorrow testifies to a kind of selfishness. Beware of selfishness hidden under the image of the righteous. Beware of untimely and excessive repentance due to righteous reproof, even if it is judged to be righteous in your judgment. Excessive sorrow through this is from the tempter. There is only sorrow - from the truth, from the knowledge of the wretched state of our soul. All other sorrows, when they turn out to be excessive, are alien to Grace.

This is for your admonition. Let Chrysanthia take communion, but I want to write to you about a dream that I had on the last day of my illness. There were pains and I did not sleep, the doctor gave me medicine to reduce the pain. I took it and fell asleep a little. As soon as I fell asleep, I saw that I was on some roof of a village house, and that I was completely healthy, next to me were two young men, one of whom sang: “Thou hast invariably taken on the human form...” and so on and so forth. , as it seemed to me, very melodious, but it seemed to me that he sang, not very well, so I said to him: “Listen to how I sing this,” and I sang with all my strength and, as it seemed to me, very melodiously.

But when I looked around, for I heard women’s voices singing, I saw many virgins standing around me and chanting the hymn with great boldness. Their voices covered my voice and, embarrassed at the sight of so many virgins, I bowed my head and listened to them until they finished singing the hymn that I in a weak voice repeated after them.

At the end I woke up and was so joyful that I forgot about my illness. The next day there was a complete cleansing of the intestinal system, and a stone larger than a grain of rice came out, and since then I have been free from pain.

God bless! The dream brought me a change in my mood.

Write to me when you feel sad.

I remain your prayer book to the Lord

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved child of the Lord, Katina, rejoice. I received your letter and am answering. Today I am sending you by mail through Mr. Dimarch fifty (50) drachmas for the repair of the cell. I will send the rest (50) to you in a few days.

Regarding laughter, I mean that it can be hysterical and blameless. Try, however, not to make people laugh for the sake of jokes and do not strive for them. Truly, laughter is caused many times by character and habit. Laughter is blameworthy when it is caused by something. I do not believe that you cause laughter like laughers, but that you laugh automatically (spontaneously). Therefore, I want you to be careful when laughing and do not interrupt it abruptly, for this is harmful. Women's laughter is often hysterical and the result or phenomenon is pathological, so it is harmful to speak out against it before studying this phenomenon.

Therefore, I advise you to be careful, as much as it depends on you, because he flies out involuntarily, do not call him.

Automatic laughter is blameless, God’s gifts are impeccable, and do not grieve, and do not try to abruptly interrupt laughter, but with gentleness and modesty. The chapter on laughter is important and leads to the study of Hygiene and Pathology. The moral character of laughter is given by the morality of the person causing or desiring laughter. Natural laughter, which manifests itself automatically, is immaculate. The laughter of fornicators is unworthy, and Holy Scripture condemns such.

The reason that causes laughter, I think, is a certain hysterical state, aggravated by lack of sleep. I believe that Angelica does not have enough sleep, so I wish you to walk with reason, do not exhaust your body with excessive labor. First exercise your soul through self-knowledge in order to walk safely in moral perfection, and it will teach you how to strengthen your body to serve your spiritual needs. Moral perfection is a good sought through life, and life, first of all, is the study of oneself and then bodily asceticism.

The study of these exercises the soul for moral education and perfection, while bodily asceticism trains the body to endure pain for the sake of virtue; but the soul first strives for virtues, and then the body, by the impulse of the soul, endures fatigue for the sake of virtue. Often bodily pains contribute to the preservation and protection of the virtues given to the soul by Divine Grace: so strive with reasoning and remember that bodily asceticism helps the soul to reach moral perfection, while moral perfection is achieved through mental exercise.

About thoughts in prayer, I tell you, when they come, read them loudly and do not pay any attention to them, for as long as someone listens to them, they take root: change your thoughts by reading out loud.

I pray that God’s Grace will protect your mind and heart.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

to Aegina

Children, beloved of the Lord, rejoice in the Lord, Christ is Risen.

To God's favor, on Tuesday, the 25th of the expiring month of April, I am going to Aegina. I reported this to Mr. Dimarch and the Abbot of the Monastery. Ask him to send me two animals, since I will come with a deacon. I would very much like you to tell Lady Christ, who has my blessing, to receive a deacon for one night. I want to take a deacon to the monastery to celebrate the Liturgy in sacred temple Saint Dionysius and invoke the intercession of Saint Dionysius.

Mr. Dimarchus telegraphed to me his satisfaction at learning of my arrival in Aegina, coinciding with the day of remembrance of his mother.

I wish you all the best and the highest perceptions.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord Ksenia,

I received your letter dated 25 last month and I am glad about your health. I am saddened by the restlessness of Akaki, for whom you also pray. But since it probably comes from the excitement of the nervous system, the center of which is the brain, from the brain movement and sex hormones, then look for some medicine to calm the nervous excitement. In addition, since it is possible that movement may occur from any microbes, keep it clean by rinsing with water and potassium chloride.

I am very happy about the results of the exercise. When I find time, I will write to you. Today I told Kostya to buy three vials and give them to Mrs. Argyro. I found out that she had lost the scarves and asked her to tell Europe to bring them and I would pay. I wish you no longer to be sad.

I remind you, confess your thoughts to each other, so as not to fall into secret temptation. If possible, let the sisters write to me about important things if they do not calm down from confession.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

my fatherly blessing to you.

I received your letter and rejoiced at your health, for which I constantly pray. If you want, give the peacock to Andronik, but if he doesn’t want it, give it back.

Since you wrote that the topic about peace was useful to you, I wanted to write you a second topic. I took the Holy Gospel, which also contains the messages of the Holy Apostles, and opened it in order to find some topic. On the open page my eyes fell on the following: (1 Cor. 7:34)

The saying made a great impression on me, and I immediately began to write to you, although not much and without any preparation. I only called on the Most Holy Theotokos to enlighten me with the light of the knowledge of God in order to write for your benefit, so I begin.

“The unmarried woman is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.”, truly inspired verbs. In small ways, he presented the entire life of the virgin, showed the nature of the desire and the goal, and the end of virginity. So, I showed the first thing of the virgin that it exists take care of the Lord and secondly, that caring for the Lord is the desired goal, that is, for the virgin to become holy in both body and spirit. Hence, every concern of a virgin is to become holy in body and soul, testing what is pleasing to the Lord, for this is cares about the Lord: Do what is pleasing to the Lord unceasingly in order to please the Lord, for what is pleasing to the Lord sanctifies the soul and body, and a virgin becomes pleasing to the Lord.

A virgin is holy when she honors her body as a holy tabernacle in which God has dwelt, and keeps it immaculate and undefiled, but she also keeps her soul, that is, spirit, pure from moral passions, that is, moral evils.

The body is kept immaculate when the sense organs remain virgin, for when the body is virgin, the eyes and ears, or smell, or taste, or touch are far from the state of virginity, then the body is not virgin, for virginity is mainly a moral virtue , not bodily. Bodily virginity has grace and price, it is respected by moral virginity, without this it has no value, for what is its price if feelings corrupt it? Where is the holiness of a virgin when grave sin defiles the body through feelings? So, a virgin who is concerned about how to please the Lord and wants to keep her body holy must also keep her feelings immaculate. Preserving the holiness of the body includes the tongue, the mouth, the hands, and the very feet. For when the tongue is unclean through slander and the like, then the whole body is unclean. When the hands do what they should, they are vile and defile the whole body. When the maiden's legs are no more, "like feet that bring good news" beautiful, that is, holy, they do not maintain bodily purity. By maintaining the holiness of all our members, we maintain bodily holiness.

The soul is kept holy when the mind and heart, that is, the rational, volitional and motivating soul, all seek what is good, and pleasing, and perfect. When the rational seeks knowledge of divine truths, the volitional desires to fulfill the divine commandments, the motivating one strives for God and does not care about anything else, then the virgin truly cares about the Lord and becomes holy in body and spirit.

May this not seem impossible to you. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and it will be revealed to him who interprets.”(Matt. 7:7–8; Luke 11:9–11).

May the grace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

Fatherly Blessing to you all

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord, Venerable Ksenia,

Fatherly blessing to you.

Today I am sending by mail to Mr. Dimarchus of Aegina five thousand trees... to be distributed freely to the inhabitants of Aegina, I am writing to send to you too, for planting near the monastery. I wish, however, that he would give Eutychia as much as she wants. Inform Eutychia about my order and about sending trees, so that she can take care and ask Dimarchus for them. Let me know how much you spent on planting.

I wish you all the best and a good Pentecost and a good Easter.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord, Reverend Ksenia, fatherly blessing to you.

I pray for your health, may Divine Grace heal you. I want to know more often about the state of your health. Bless the water, and let the priest sign the cross over you and take a little of the great agiasma. Don't neglect your health. On this occasion, convey my blessing to Elena, and I wish to know how she is.

About Holy Communion I tell you, abstain whenever your stomach is upset and there is a tendency to vomit, so that those who partake of the Passion are not in consciousness, we will be negligent regarding the possible consequences and sin.

When construction is completed, light a fire in your cell for several days, consecrate it, and then move in, cover it with a woolen blanket.

I want to know if they brought you a flower pot, candles and trees.

Let Cassiania take care to write to her brother to come and I will give him money to repair the toilet. I really want it to be done by Easter. I said that I would do it in another place, but since a lot of money is required, which I don’t have now, therefore let it be where it is. And let him not be careless about it.

O. I told Andronik to make a fence to protect the trees. I want you to sow corn seeds.

I remain your prayer book to God

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord, Venerable Ksenia,

I wish you the best.

Yesterday I wrote to you that I intend to tell you the good news. God has deigned to convey this news to you through your prayers in this letter today.

At that moment, cooperating with God, I finished the Psalter. I mastered all her psalms ancient measure according to the sample I sent you, with short explanatory notes. I can already say that I know the Psalmist. I have already understood the height of its meaning. I have already felt the greatness of the Psalter. I have already felt the spirit of service to the divine breathing in the psalms. I already felt the lust of exaltation to God. I have already realized what a fire of divine love is poured out in the psalms. I have already understood the creative power of the psalms for the soul and heart. I have already realized how necessary they are in prayer and for expressing the feeling of worshiping God. I have already understood why they were established by the Holy Fathers as daily reading in prayer sequences.

From now on, when with the Holy God, who has vouchsafed and enlightened me to master this most difficult book to the ancient extent, to interpret and make it understandable and pleasant to read as I speak, I will print it, have it as a pocket book and carry it with me wherever I go. With her I will sing and praise and bless God.

All of you glorify God for strengthening me to complete this amazing work. Thank Him for everything and pray to Him that He will honor me to print it and present it to you as a sacred gift for prayer and service to God

Rejoice and be glad in the Lord.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord, Venerable Ksenia,

Fatherly blessing to you.

I received your letter dated May 10 and was glad about your health, and by the grace of God I am healthy. Take two hundred drachmas for the well and for the costs of delivering the lime and slaking it. You didn't write whether the news arrived. I paid Stylian to bring 50 cantaria of lime. Ask if she came or why she didn’t come.

I will arrive in 10-12 days to lay the foundation of the church, but the lime must be ready. Waiting for your reply.

You wrote that you gave Father Adronicus 100 drachmas, which I told Argyro about; You also ask about the rest of my debt to her: let that (money) remain. I told Kostya to send three vials of syrup by mail for Marika. I pray for the complete restoration of her health, I wish to know whether she has become stronger.

I found out that Filofeya is not in good health state of mind and (seemingly) prays against the sisterhood. Please ask her if this is true. If not, then fine, but if it’s true, and she continues to partake of the Most Pure Mysteries, then let her know that she eats and drinks as a judgment for herself, without discussing the Body and Blood of the Lord, and is close to danger, for something worse could happen to her. I consider it my duty for you to read it to her, so that I will not be guilty. I wash my hands.

Argyro, convey my blessing, also to all the sisters for whom I pray, may God bless them with peace.

Let the following be read in front of everyone.

I rejoice a lot about the much love that reigns between the sisters, which Philotheus is deprived of, as I learned. But I consider it my duty to tell you that you must have great caution in your communication and reverence each other, as sacred persons, as divine initiations, as images of God, and never look with hope to the body or to health, but to the soul, : And let not your mind be slack in examining the character and various members of the body. Listen to the development of the feeling of love, for the soul is in danger when the heart is not strengthened by pure prayer, which warms it up, and becomes carnal, unnatural and darkens the thought of what exactly I am praying for, so that it does not happen.

Take care of the feeling of love. Love each other as holy sisters, and let one common love for the Lord bind you. Avoid shaking hands and kissing, for you are fighting against a most deceitful spirit.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord, Ksenia the Venerable.

Peace to you from God and our Savior Jesus Christ and health, and to all of you, and a good state of soul and body.

I am writing to you today to let you know what I have read. A certain English doctor experimented with treating those suffering from chest diseases with onions, giving them a drink from it daily, and for those who were able to eat onions. He gave them every morning to eat onions with bread and, if possible, at lunch as much as possible. I experimented for ten years and saw that the development of chest diseases stopped and health was completely restored.

I observed onion therapy, as far as I remember, when I was a teenager, with a doctor in Bulgaria. I remember that he said that tuberculosis does not find soil in Bulgaria because Bulgarians eat onions and bread. I am writing this for Mariana mainly because I believe that her health will improve day by day. If he wants and can, let him eat any onion in the morning with a piece of bread for the sake of his health.

I want to know how the nuns feel – is everyone healthy?

I pray that everyone may be healthy in body and soul. Give my blessing to Argyro and the rest of the sisters.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Fatherly blessing to you.

I don’t have anything new to write to you or that everything is fine with me. I haven’t seen Elena and Margarita for a long time. Kostya told me that he saw Elena and she was doing well.

Andronik was accused by the monks of his monastery for not commemorating the metropolitan and the king either in his monastery or in ours and brought to justice. Responding, he called three nuns as witnesses, and summonses were issued for them to come and testify about him. He told me this when he came to the School, and showed the challenges, which I accepted and, since he noticed that this was reckless, he called the metropolitan deacon and gave him the challenges, saying to give them to His Eminence and to suspend their invitation, and that I am sure that he always remembers him at my command. So the calls were canceled and your question ended.

However, Andronik ultimately announced to me that he would not come to serve in the future, and I am informing you.

Accept my blessing, which you will pass on to the sisters. I prayerfully wish you all health of soul and body.

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Reverend daughter Ksenia in the Lord.

I prayerfully wish you and all the sisters health and patience in temptations.

Euphemia's mother told me that you are suffering and suffering from the cold. If the weather allowed, I would come to bring you a little consolation, but, unfortunately, it is very cold. It's minus eight in Athens, so I can't come.

I wanted to come especially for Akaki to console her and baptize her with the Honest Tree and the Holy Relics that I left for you. I want you to baptize her with holy relics with my blessing and call upon the grace of the saints together with the sisters, that they may heal her. Unfortunately, I cannot come to pray for her. I pray for her perfect health and release from this ordeal. Its condition is the result of cold and humidity. May the Grace of the Lady Theotokos heal her completely.

I found out that Maria is coughing due to a cold, today I will send you to buy four vials of the medicine Koronilos, give two to Maria, to whom I pray for complete relief from the cough. The cold, when she is well dressed, will not harm her, let her go out for a while to breathe clean air, it is very useful. I found out that Margarita is also very weak, give her the other two vials, let her get dressed and eat eggs and milk and other food, just like Maria. And I pray to Margarita to strengthen her body. I want you all to often eat chickpeas (lamb peas), garlic and onions and drink a little wine and in the morning, after Church, a little raki?, now in winter to warm the body. I found out that Amalia has a cold in her throat, I advise her to wet a piece of white cloth with cold water, wring it out and put it on her throat and tie it with a scarf. Let him do this in the evening before bed and fall asleep, and let him not go out until the morning, but only when the day comes. When she gets up in the morning, her throat will go away. I advise singers not to immediately leave the church before the vocal organs have reached their natural temperature and, when leaving the church, not to talk and go straight to their cells, and after a quarter of an hour or more drink a cup of lukewarm water. Let the singers do this in winter and summer, when they get up in the morning to follow; since the neck of the singers has some sensitivity and sweats at night, let them wet their hands and refresh it. Let them do this two or three times and then clean it thoroughly and after the excess heat has gone, let them go out. They can rinse with water at room temperature. This will protect them from colds; from time to time, let them rinse with boric acid or sea water. I do all this too. I'll send her a box of kozinaki, they're good for the throat.

I wish her a speedy recovery.

I found out that you also suffer from headaches, write to me how you feel? I pray for your speedy recovery, and may the Lady Theotokos lay Her hand on your head and take your headache away. I found out that your mother also caught a cold, and that Gerontissa Anastasia was unwell. I prayerfully wish them health and a perfect recovery.

I also learned that the rest are healthy, but they sympathize with their sick sisters and are upset because of their illnesses... For this reason, I again wish you health and patience. I asked the Lady Theotokos to heal you all, and promised from this day forward to print Θεоτоκάριоν as a token of my gratitude.

I remain your prayer book to God

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter Ksenia in the Lord,

fatherly blessing to you.

I received your letter number 8 on March 8 and read it with attention, but did not find out one thing, what is your health. I would like to know about your health.

How is Irina and what is wrong with her, and has she recovered? Also, how did Maria and Margarita spend the winter? Is Margarita getting stronger, maybe she needs some medicine? Write, I will send it. How does Akakia feel? You don’t write anything to me, and you don’t write anything about yourself. I want to know how is your health? And did you get stronger, and did the headaches go away, and did you begin to feel exhaustion and anxiety?

I wrote to you, go through the Holy Pentecost wisely. My commandment imposes on you the practice and reading of prayers and diet, but apply all this, first of all, to yourself. I tell you this because I understand that you, of all people, need a good diet and what you need, and what others tell you about. For I do not know how it happens that you are mistaken about yourself and do not know your condition, and therefore have a need for teaching and guidance. So, I want to say the following. With my blessing, ask all the sisters how they find your health and what they think about your diet (nutrition). Do you need a special diet, prescribed by you for the sick or not, and if the sisters, who see and understand the need for quality nutrition, say that you need to adhere to a diet for the sick, then submit to the judgment of the sisters, with whom I agree. If, however, there is no need, then again, with my blessing, eat like healthy people. It is appropriate to know that when you are healthy, the sisters and even the sick themselves are healthy. And when you get sick, then healthy people get sick too. I ask you to put this well into your head and not only this, know that your complacency brings joy to the faces of the sisters and makes the Abode a paradise, but your irritation and gloominess are transmitted to the sisters, and joy escapes from paradise. Know that the joy and joy of your sisters depends on you, and you are obliged to observe both of these in their hearts. Do this, sometimes forcing yourself. I advise you not to indulge in unnecessary grief, for this greatly hurts the hearts of the sisters; Your reward will be great if you become a cause of joy for the sisters. I advise you this, for I also have this as the beginning of my life.

I want my students to have this as their beginning. When you please the heart of your neighbor, especially a sister who is deprived of everything and expects only spiritual joy from you, then how likely is it that you will please God much more than if you pray for a long time and fast a lot. Know that your place is already the place of the Spiritual Mother. This is no longer Chrysanthia, who could do whatever she wanted. Already, if you accurately fulfill your moral duties in relation to the sisters, you also fulfill them in relation to God. If you miss this, supposedly for the sake of those, then know that they will not be acceptable by God. The Primate of the Monastery lives not for herself, but for the sisterhood, and the one who lives for the sisterhood lives for God, and God accepts her life as a favorable sacrifice. It seems that I am writing this to you because of some mysterious voice that moved my hand, for I intended to write you a few words about something else, but I have already filled four pages.

Having finished writing from dictation, it seems to me, I am now starting to answer your letter. The following are good and I pray that God will clothe you with strength. But maybe the sisters are getting tired? Maybe they are exhausted? If you see yourself weakening, cut back on something. If one of the young people wants to eat in the evening, they can take some bread and water, since they are in development (of the body), then it is not appropriate for them to be deprived of the necessary nutrition and assistance from experienced ones in the development of the body, so as not to be damaged. When time will pass development, then they can fast and eat once a day. Female body created in such a way as to have the need for many things, for it is intended for the greatest exhaustion. Therefore, women who want to imitate men in nutrition become exhausted faster. A woman has a physiological need for more food and more sleep. Remember that you are women and do not compete with men. Always have women as an example, and not all of them at once: for this must be discussed in asceticism and in moral perfection. When you see much asceticism, know that there is a great moral virtue that supports the asceticism of the body, for it behooves us to know well that the strength of the soul strengthens and supports the body in exploits.

Without spiritual power, great austerities are impossible, and if someone brave takes on great austerities before he heals his soul with moral virtues, he will be deceived and fall away. Therefore, I believe, I wish, I insist: follow a reasonable path in everything, conducting your life according to the needs of your life and the need to preserve your body and health, and seek moral perfection. I fervently wish you to strengthen yourself in this virtue, so that you can say and feel: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”. When you achieve this, then seek to acquire other virtues, but, first of all, this one, for without it you will not do anything. And let no one be deceived, believing that prayers and supplications will lead her to perfection: such a one is mistaken, for the Lord who dwells in us leads to perfection, Whose will we do, Who says that will dwell and walk in us when we do His commandments. There is only one first commandment: let not our will be done in us, but God’s, let it be done with such perfection as it happens in heaven with the Holy Angels, and we can say: “Lord! Not as I want, but as You: Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth" Without Christ in us, prayers and supplications are misleading.

I say this, showing you where to turn and what to look for in order to safely reach the desired end.

Strive first of all to humble your egoism. It is the beginning of self-denial and the reign of the divine will in us (...)

Wish you all the best.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Reverend daughter Ksenia in the Lord,

fatherly blessing to you.

I received your letter dated the 7th of this month without a number and prayerfully wish you all the best. By the grace of God I am healthy in the house of Messrs. Nicholas Papaionnis and Phokion Vamvis. Their home is with God: they received me with service, and I stayed with them for five and a half hours: from 10 o’clock in the morning to 3 and a half in the afternoon. Zoya was also sheltered in this house, who showed me your letter and asked permission to come, which I gave her.

From her you will learn about my visit. This pious family wants to come and build a house outside the Monastery in order to complete the rest of their lives in veneration; they asked for my permission to do this. They will live outside the Monastery, but want to go to services in the temple of the Monastery and eat in the Monastery, providing the Monastery with funds for their maintenance and all their property, which after death will be the property of the Monastery. I approved their request, because I consider this family suitable and useful from all points of view of the Abode. Firstly, for their virtues and for respect for their old age. Secondly, for the moral strengthening and courage that they will provide you. Thirdly, for their company. Fourthly, because both elders love the Church and are excellent musicians, they can help the choristers. Fifthly, for in time I will ordain one of them, who has favored God, as a priest. Sixthly, because they rejoice in the respect of everyone, and their very respect will be reflected in the Abode. Seventhly, because economically the Monastery will then acquire one dwelling, in which we will be able to care for guests. And the last thing: their property will help the Monastery, and they will be useful in agricultural and light work around the monastery, and as watchmen with God they will protect the garden of the Monastery. By this I express my consent. I wish you to read my letter to the sisters and write your opinion, or if you don’t have time now, then when I arrive on the third day of Easter, then tell me what you understand about it.

Bring my congratulations to Amalia for the beautiful Cross, I prayerfully wish her all the best.

I believe that my arrival will be successful, as my premonition tells me, and that I will be pleased.

I wish you to spend the holy days of the Passion of the Lord in spiritual communion with the Lord and celebrate His Holy three-day Resurrection with spiritual joy. Amen.

If Stylian (Στηλιανоς I write through η “and”, because in pronunciation there is ε (e) - Stelius τελιоς, ε and η give ώ; υ there is no ε, but oυ, I think that’s how it should be written) arrived, then I'll send something for the Church to start work. I want Elena to tell Dimarch that I am accepting the plasterer he recommended, and that when I arrive I will talk with him. Let him just tell him to come to the Monastery and install the Cross on the dome so that now on holidays and on Easter day he would be standing in radiance on the dome.

With the gendarme I am sending you candles and books.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Reverend daughter Ksenia in the Lord, fatherly blessing to you.

We received a letter from the 26th of the outgoing month, and we were grateful and glorified God. For such a good disposition of His Eminence, you would sing praises and thank God with all your heart for His influence on the Metropolitan’s soul, for this does not happen without God, but God is the Perfecter, and grace, glory and praise are due to Him.

I have not yet seen His Eminence, but I learned from his people that he was very pleased. God grant that he retains such enthusiasm until the end. This happens with divine favor and also depends on how much you live according to God, and Christ lives in you, for which I pray with all my heart.

The visit of His Eminence taught us not to be cowardly, and that faith and hope in God does the impossible, but absolute faith, which would have conviction. Force yourself with reason in everything, so that faith, hope and love for God daily bring you closer to perfection.

Strive for love. Perfect love leads to perfection of faith and hope. Ask God for love every day: it is followed by many all kinds of good virtues. Love and be loved. Give love in order to receive love. Give God your whole heart May you abide in love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

So far the board has not given me the money, but I hope to receive it in a few days as part of my salary and send it to you for socks.

Panagius sent me some bills that I don’t understand: he charged 140 or more than 130 drachmas to do the work. What bills does he already present to me? I sent them to you without consideration. Write how much he asks and, if more, ask why it was more. If the November salary exceeds how much it exceeds, I will send it and you will pay.

Elena arrived, and I saw her on the day of her arrival and was delighted to hear about everyone, especially about Kyriaki. I pray that God will keep her healthy.

Elena said that Synklitikia told you that I am not thinking of coming to the Monastery, and that I am thinking of moving with Kostya to another place, and that I will see you from time to time. Syncletikia did not understand what I wanted to tell her. I want to found a Theological School and I don’t exclude Aegina as a place. I want to leave this, because if God blesses and a lighthouse appears, enlightening all of Hellas, then he will take care of your Abode. The wisest and oldest will receive protection over the Abode, so that the Abode, even after my dormition, would have a representative and supporter of my principles, and so on. That's what we're talking about.

Until the work at the School is completed, when it is completed I will come, and, God willing, I think to make you a perfect nun.

Blessings to you and give blessings to all the sisters.

Your spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughters in the Lord,

I prayerfully wish you all the best.

I received your letter dated 30 last month, I saw your compassion for Synclitia and I accept your prayer. My soul has cooled down to Synclitia so much that it remains indifferent to her, and the reason is her mental state.

I, beloved, love you not because you love me, but because you love our Lord Jesus Christ. Love for the Lord, like common love, warms my heart for you too. When one of you tears your heart from the Lord and

betrays him to the vanity of the world and spiritual lusts, then my love for her ceases, for this sister, who took her heart from Christ, cut off love affair between us, since the ring, our connection was our common love for Christ. This means that my coldness was a consequence of her distance from Christ.

Her love for me, like a human one, does not warm my heart, for it is alien to the love of Christ, and it is impossible for me to have two loves in my heart, divine and human, for no one can work for two masters, that is, love, for love is the work of the beloved , the one who works is not free, so that another can work, therefore, since the union of love is the Lord, who rules our hearts, then each of the sisters who has Christ in her heart is also my beloved: and do not let anyone who has torn Christ from the heart God of this, and even if he loves me and serves me, I don’t love her at all.

My love for you has the love of the Lord; the more you love the Lord, the more I love. The less you love Him, the less I love you. This means that she who desires my love will take care of one thing only, how to love the Lord, and love for the Lord attracts my love to her, for we are connected with the Lord.

They don’t care about me and don’t think as a human being that they should have love for me. Let love for me be not only the result of thought and the cause of my love for you, but the abundance of the Lord’s love: it must flow precisely from common union love. Love itself is love that is pure in spirit, which the evil one is unable to process and insidiously seek to transform it little by little into human and ordinary love. Such love, when it develops only in one person, gives rise to hatred in the other loved one. When it develops in both, it gives birth to erotic love. Therefore, in loving each other or our fellow tribesmen, or especially those who are inclined to erotic love, we must daily examine whether our love flows from the union of love, that is, Christ, or does not flow from the fullness of love.

He who watches over his love and keeps it immaculate, not mixed with human love, is also preserved from the snares of the evil one, who tries to instill human love in beloved persons and turn it into eros, deceiving those who love human love in their dreams, and in which, the beloved face united with with the love of the Lord, he hates a humanly loving person: then the evil one imagines him tormented by his heart from erotic love. Hence it is necessary great attention in love for each other and also in your love for me and for everyone else, so that you do not fall into the snare of the evil one.

From this you can understand the purpose for which I wrote the Syncletikia so strictly. I wanted to bring her to her senses, because I felt that her heart had cooled towards the Lord, that human love had begun to develop in her heart, which could turn into eros if I had condoned it or done something nice for her. The evil one began to deceive her in her dreams.

Through the letter, I wanted to bring her out of delusion, draw her attention and lead her again to the love of the Lord. Please, Madam Gerontissa Ksenia, don’t give my letter to Synclitia, but read part of my letter about love to the other sisters too, if you think so. Tell Syncliticia that I received her letter, and that the composition of my letter came from the text of her letter, and that my soul grows cold towards her when I hear that she wants worldly things and when I feel that her heart is moving away from Christ, and when I see pride and exaltation and lack of humility and hatred developed towards sisters and the like.

If she wants me to love her as the bride of Christ, let her take care to love the Lord as before, as the Bridegroom. Since her small fortune gives her the courage to think that she can live in peace with her parents, so that she abandons all hope of returning to her family, let her write about the sale of her part (heritage) and sending her money to build her cell, so that her spirit will calm down and her heart, and she would get rid of the temptation that inspired her to leave the Monastery. Moreover, it’s time to build her a cell (...)

Blessings to you and I remain a prayer book to God.

My blessing to all the sisters

Your Spiritual Father

+ Pentapolis Nectarius

* * *

Beloved daughter in the Lord Ksenia,

Fatherly blessing to you.

I received your letter and am happy about your health. By God's grace I am healthy.

I inform you that the School Council has decided to give me a pension of three hundred (300) drachmas per month, because I informed him that I could no longer lead the School due to overwork. For now I remain in management until my successor is in management.

This is the news that I wrote about, which surprised you.

If they find a rector before Easter, I will come and stay until September. I say until September, firstly, because the Metropolitan told me to stay in Piraeus for polemics against all kinds of heresies, and secondly, since the providence about Kostya, who cannot live anywhere without me, but also next to me, has not yet been clarified He can't be with you. Pray that God will enlighten me on what I should do with him.

By the way, I’m telling you that Kostya doesn’t want our things to be sent to Aegina, because he thinks that before we send them to Aegina, we will be invited to Egypt. With this dream he lies down and gets up. We have dreamed about this for many years, but Kostya sees it every day and night. When I arrive, we’ll think about this issue of living with Kostya and how I can be with you at the same time.

Name the dog Iva.

I am pleased with the news that the well has been cleaned. I want that every time you write to me, write to me about the amount of water in the well and reservoir.

He gave Elena two packets of seeds, one of sorrel, the other of trees (...). The seeds of trees are like leaves with a sprout in the middle. Sow them near the road to Saint Harlampius, starting from the threshing floor and further on both sides. Its sowing is easy, the soil is slightly loosened - it is sown and buried. Doesn't require watering or anything. Sow sorrel wherever you want.

Your Spiritual Father + Pentapolis Nectarius

Source: Published in the book: Archim. Nectary Ziombolas. "The Life and Work of Saint Nektarios". Translation. Hegumen Elijah (Zhukov). 2006.

2 strong prayers Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker of Aegina

4.5 (90.53%) 38 votes.

Prayer to the miracle worker Nektarios of Aegina for healing

“Oh, myrrh-streaming head, Saint Nektarios, Bishop of God! During the time of the great retreat, you captivated the world with wickedness, you shone with piety and you crushed the head of the proud Dennitsa, who offended us. For this reason, Christ granted the gift of healing the incurable ulcers that have struck us for our iniquities. We believe: may the righteous God love you, for the sake of us sinners He will have mercy on you, forgive you from oaths, deliver you from illness, and throughout the entire universe His name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, will be fearful and glorious, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."

Prayer to Saint Nektarios of Aegina for oncology

“Oh, Saint Nektarios, God-wise Father!
Receive, guardian of the Orthodox faith, the confession from the lips of people named after Christ, gathered today in the temple by the grace of God living in you. The news has reached the Russian borders, as you, the great servant of Christ among the saints, appear to those who call upon your name in all corners of the universe and grant healing from cancer. We have heard about the priest who is your namesake and built a temple in your name with great sorrow. He was stricken with a cancerous chest ulcer, bleeding every day, and suffered fiercely, but did not abandon his holy work. Suddenly you, the Saint with great mercy, descended from heaven, and you appeared to him in the temple in a visible form. He is the one who is not aware of your fellow mortals, asking for your prayers and saying: “I am sick, I am great, otherwise I want to restore the holy altar, so that once again I will perform the holy Liturgy together with the parishioners; “I am ready to die afterwards; death does not frighten me.” You, father, are incorporeal, your face is wet with tears! and the volume of the sufferer, kissing and saying: “Do not grieve, my child, as if you have been tested by illness, you will be healthy. Everyone knows about this miracle.” He, having been healed, was, in your mind, with whom you were talking, invisible to you. Oh, great servant of Christ Nectarius! This temple is now complete, and your miracles are like an overflowing sea, multiplying! We know that the prayer of the righteous must be hastened by our zeal for the service of God and the determination to die for Christ, so that we may find health. Your sick children pray to you, righteous father: may the will of God be done to us, good, acceptable and perfect, not wanting to die sinner, but turn and live to be him. You, the herald of God’s will, heal us with your grace-filled appearance, may God be great in heaven and on earth forever and ever!
Amen."

Why did Christ send from Heavenly Jerusalem the great saint Nektarios of Aegina to serve the Easter Liturgy in a mountain village on the island of Aegina?

Aegina Island, Greece

The minibus smoothly stopped in the thick shadow of an old acacia tree, and a minute later we found ourselves in front of stone steps, polished by thousands of feet. The sun stood at its zenith, heating the mountain air to the point of a lens, creating the optical effects of a mirage. In the distance, sea waves splashed silently, shimmering with the edges of precious sapphires. But even if they were made of real diamonds, they would equally fade in front of the main treasure of the island of Aegina, to which we were three hundred steps away.

The fair-haired guy in front, our leader and leader from the Orthodox center "Thessaloniki", took off his cap and crossed himself in a sweeping manner. At the top stood a huge pink and white basilica with a red domed roof - the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, founded at the beginning of the twentieth century by Metropolitan Nektarios of Aegina.

Metropolitan Nektarios of Aegina

We crossed the Holy Gates of the monastery. I walked at the end and for some reason I remembered the parable of three holy simpletons who walked on the waters and prayed to the Holy Trinity: “There are three of you, three of us, Lord, have mercy on us.” And there are three of us too! And, Lord, have mercy on us! We flew, sailed and drove to this hot island from three ends of Rus' - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It’s so interesting that God’s providence has brought us here. When we set off, none of us knew who our traveling companion would be. Only the One who gathered us into long journey pray. Only He Who, in the eternal determination, chose triune Rus' as His last earthly throne. Knowing everything about everyone from beginning to end, have mercy and forgive what You have chosen through the prayers of the kind Saint Nektarios.

We walked along emerald cypress trees and bouquet trees the color of boldly bright fuchsia. Do you have premonitions? Feelings of closeness to the incredible, looking inside the pupil, uncontainable, gently touching the vein on the pulse to correct the hoarse voice of the blood? Then you will understand the growing sense of miracle when we venerated the holy relics of Metropolitan Nektarios in the church.

“There is nothing incurable for Saint Nektarios”

Relics of St. Nectaria

We are called to the saint's cell. A modest room with whitewashed walls and icons on them indicates an ascetic owner. A narrow iron bed in the corner, a chair, a table and an antique cabinet with a collection sea sponges- fishing by local fishermen. This is a gift to the saint from local residents. One day, sponge catchers on Aegina, before setting out to sea, prayed to their patron saint and promised to present him with the first sponge they caught in exchange for his blessing. All sponges caught that day were marked with the sign of the Cross. The shocked hunters immediately brought them to the monastery.

In the monastery on the island of Aegina

God bless you, brothers and sisters! - A middle-aged nun stepped onto the threshold of the cell. - Thank God that you came to Saint Nektarios.

At the same time, a loud whisper was heard: “Ours!” A minute later, mother was already serving us a traditional treat in Greek monasteries - coffee with Turkish delight.

We already know that Saint Nektarios is revered in Greece as a great miracle worker. What does Hellas even have? folk proverb"There is nothing incurable for Saint Nektarios." Our hospitable hosts from the Orthodox center "Thessaloniki" told us many wonderful things about the saint; we heard some things from people. But we were waiting for the fulfillment of a premonition - something that had not yet been told or described. And in response to our silent prayer, mother put away the coffee pot and sat down next to her on a dark bench polished with cassocks, on which the saint himself might have been sitting.

One wonderful incident in a forgotten mountain village on Easter

Several years ago, residents of one of the mountain villages of Aegina were left without a priest,” the sister took a long pause and took a deep breath, as if she was about to climb an invisible height. - Time passed, but a new priest was not appointed. Lent finally arrived, and the peasants became agitated. In Greece, first and last week The Saint of Four Cents stops work and study - Hellas prays. Flags are lowered everywhere - like mourning for the crucified Christ, people stand every day at long Lenten services, go in processions of the cross throughout the parish, keep a strict fast without oil, and many do not eat at all. To be left without a priest for the parish at this time is unthinkable.

After consulting, the peasants decided to write a letter of petition to the ruling bishop of the diocese. “Holy Lord,” the villagers begged, “send us a priest at least for a while.” Holy Week and Easter. So that we can adequately prepare, repent, pray and joyfully greet the Bright Resurrection of Christ with the whole world. Do not leave us orphans, Holy Master, do not forget about our sorrow. Send us a priest whom Your Eminence will bless."

The bishop read the letter and at the next diocesan meeting, among a series of other questions, announced the request of the laity of the Aegina village: "Who, fathers, can go to this village?" But each of those present explained how busy they were and gave a reason why they couldn’t go. Then the meeting moved on to other issues, and the mountaineers' letter was buried under a pile of other papers. And then they simply forgot about him due to many worries and preparations for the approaching Easter.

Aegina Monastery

Finally, the Great Day of the Resurrection of Christ has arrived, which in Greece is celebrated extremely festively and solemnly by the whole world. Orthodoxy is the official religion of Hellas, and here it is also a public holiday, which is celebrated with the participation of not only the church, but also the government hierarchy. The first holiday week passed, diocesan employees went to work, and soon the bishop discovered a new letter from a mountain village on his desk. “Holy Vladyka!” the peasants wrote. “There are no words to express all our gratitude and heartfelt gratitude for your pastoral participation and help to our parish. We will forever thank God and you, Holy Vladyka, for the reverent priest whom you sent us to meet Easter. Never before have we had the opportunity to pray with such a gracious and humble servant of God..."

The bishop began the next diocesan meeting with the question: “Which of the priests went to the village from which the letter was read last time?” Everyone was silent, no one responded. Great bewilderment and ardent curiosity took possession of the saint. A few days later, the rocky mountain roads of the island of Aegina were swirling with dust - a bishop's cortege was rushing to the mysterious village. For the first time in his life, the Lord came to this forgotten village with a magnificent retinue. They were greeted by residents in in full force from old to small and solemnly escorted to a small ancient temple.

Aegina Monastery

Vladyka took the magazine, hastily flipped through the pages and read: “Nectarius, Metropolitan of Pentapolis”

All Greek priests are considered civil servants, and everyone is required to leave an entry in a special church journal, even if they served in the temple once. The archbishop venerated the revered temple icon and immediately went to the altar. Through the open Royal Doors, everyone saw him take the magazine and walk up to the tall narrow window. Hastily flipping through the pages, he ran his finger along the last line. "Nectarius, Metropolitan of Pentapolis"- it was written there in beautiful ink. Vladyka dropped the magazine and fell to his knees where he was standing.

The news of the great miracle struck everyone standing in the temple with heavenly thunder. The long, ringing silence was interrupted by a flurry of overwhelming feelings. People fell to their knees, raised their hands in grief, hugged, wept, and loudly thanked God and Saint Nektarios. Only now did each of those present begin to understand what had happened. The Lord Almighty heard the tearful sighing of the hearts of His faithful sheep, left in sorrow in a distant small village at the top of the mountain, and sent a great shepherd from the Kingdom of Heaven to them. The Lord of the earth, through weakness, forgot about the small flock entrusted to him, but the Lord of Heaven and Earth did not forget about it. Now they knew what the moment of Truth was. For a whole week Saint Nektarios, who died in 1920, was in the flesh with the simple-minded shepherds and their families, served in the temple, led them Processions of the Cross, led solemn funeral processions-epitaphs with the Holy Sepulcher in the night, sang hymns and prayers with them, consoled, and instructed. They had never heard such words about God from anyone. It seemed that this old gentleman with a soft voice knew Him personally.

In the monastery of St. Nectaria

Only then did the people understand why all this time unearthly joy had filled their hearts. Why did tears of repentance and tenderness flow like a river, and no one held them back or was embarrassed. Why did they not want to eat, did not want to sleep, but only to pray with this wonderful, kind priest? The icon of Saint Nektarios was in their church in a place of honor, but none of them recognized him. The Lord hid this from them.

Christ sent Saint Nektarios to celebrate Easter with the shepherds not only because this area was in his “zone of responsibility.” There are other reasons for this...

He was persecuted, accused of bribery, intrigue and even fornication. And once he was found mopping the floor at school

For many years, the great saint of the Universal Church, Nektarios of Aegina, was mercilessly persecuted. He was subjected to monstrous slander by part of the clergy, tormented by jealousy and envy of his talents and people's love. He was persecuted, volumes of denunciations were written against him, and he was accused of bribery and fornication. By the grace of God he became an eminent theologian, prolific writer and a preacher and was early elevated to the rank of bishop. Nektary remained the most visible, the most educated, the most enthusiastic and impeccable.

He was loved and appreciated by the Patriarch and revered by his flock. But new slander fell upon Bishop Nektary, as if he was aiming for the patriarchal position. And His Holiness of Alexandria, believing the slander, changed his mercy to anger: he was expelled from the Patriarchate and banned from serving in spite of church canons, contrary to the holy fathers and traditions. Saint Nektarios left Egypt, where he served, without trying to make excuses or defend himself, but only repeating after the long-suffering Job: “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away.” He knew, like David, that the salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord. Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you... (Matthew 5:11). Those great gifts that Nectarius possessed also required from him great perseverance in the face of difficult trials.

Saint Nektarios

The Metropolitan found himself on the verge of poverty; for a long time he had no means of subsistence. The landlady from whom he rented a room did not charge him for meals and housing, seeing before her a man of holy life. He was a traveling preacher in abandoned villages and worked in a school. Once, when the school janitor, the father of many children, fell ill, the saint began to come early in the morning in order to have time to clean the classrooms and toilets. After leaving the hospital, the man barely made it to school. Entering the building, he was speechless when he saw Nectarius with a rag and a dustpan. “Don’t be afraid,” the saint reassured. “I’m not encroaching on your place; on the contrary, I’m doing everything to keep it for you until your final recovery... But be careful: while I live in this world, no one should know about what you saw."

One day, when Saint Nektarios, exhausted by poverty and shocked by the betrayal and distrust of his friends and relatives, prayed in contrition, an amazing peace descended on his heart. He thought he heard harmonious singing. Guessing what was happening, he raised his eyes and saw the Most Holy Theotokos, accompanied by a host of angels singing in a special tune. He wrote down the words and melody. This most beautiful hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos, known as Agni Parfene, is known to the entire Orthodox world.

Few people know that this hymn was written by the hand and heart of Nektarios of Aegina

Mary, Pure Virgin, Most Holy Theotokos,

To the Queen, Mother of God, Fleece, covering everyone,

Exceeding the Heavenly Powers, uncreated radiance,

The faces of maiden Joy and the Supreme Angels...

In 1904, the bishop with several spiritual children, girls who wanted to devote themselves to Christ, came to the island of Aegina in order to choose a place for the monastery. Blessed Island! Here even dogs don't bark at strangers. When you meet a passerby, man or woman, on your way, you will most often hear Christ’s greeting: “Rejoice!” With meager funds and donations from philanthropists, Nektarios acquired the ruins of the old monastery. On one of the marble slabs mounted on the wall of the church vestibule, it is written: “Nectarios, Metropolitan of Pentapolis, erected this temple to the eternal glory of the Triune God.”

One day, the Metropolitan of Athens visited the Aegina Monastery, which was still under construction. Stopping at the service entrance, he asked a poorly dressed old man who was preparing mortar to call the Metropolitan of Pentapolis. The old man immediately went after “him.” When the Metropolitan of Athens saw the worker who had turned into a hierarch, he experienced some confusion and said:

Is that you, Nektary? In this form?.. In a few years, your monastery, on which you spend so much effort, will look the same as the ruins opposite.

The saint answered with inspiration:

My brother and co-servant, this is not at all a question of whether my monastery will come to such a state as you say. On the contrary, soon these ruins will rise on the island for the glory of the Triune God.

Saint Nektarios

God's people do not keep diaries, so we know very little about them. inner life, their internal struggle is unknown to us. One ascetic who lived on Aegina said that the saint was seen praying with tears in his eyes in the temple in front of the holy icons for three days and three nights without any food and without water. Nobody knows what kind of test he underwent then. Only after the appearance of the Angel of the Lord did he leave the temple and, having defeated temptation, returned to his usual Everyday life. Even saints are subject to temptation - until the very end of their earthly life.

People who had the opportunity to pray with the bishop said that these services were similar to the Liturgy that should be performed in Heaven. For the saint himself was honored to become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and the owner of grace-filled gifts.

During the last year of his life in the monastery, the saint suffered from unbearable pain. He had cancer. He spent two months in an Athens hospital, where two nuns brought him. Looking at the little old man dressed in a faded robe, who was suffering from terrible pain, the attendant asked: “Is he a monk?” “No,” answered the sister, “he is a bishop.”

The duty officer was indescribably amazed: “For the first time I see a bishop without a panagia, a golden cross, and most importantly, without money.”

The saint was placed in a third-rate ward for incurable patients. Soon the nurses noticed that the bandages that were used to wrap the bishop’s wounds were fragrant. On November 9, 1920, at the age of seventy-four, the soul of the saint departed to the Lord. The nurse, who was preparing the body for burial, placed his shirt on the edge of the next bed, where the patient, who had suffered from paralysis for many years, lay. The chamber was filled with a wonderful fragrance, and the paralyzed man immediately got out of bed healthy. The fragrance spread throughout the hospital and did not disappear for several days. The Metropolitan’s body began to leak myrrh profusely.

When the coffin was brought to Aegina, the whole island came out in tears to see off their saint. He was buried by ordinary people who loved him like their own father. People carried the saint’s coffin in their hands and then noticed that even the clothes they wore at the funeral were fragrant. When three years later they opened the monastery crypt where Saint Nektarios was buried, they found his body and vestments completely incorrupt. The decay did not even touch the violets placed in the coffin by the girl.

On April 20, 1961, Metropolitan Nektary was canonized by the Ecumenical Church. And the countless miracles performed by the saint have not stopped since his blessed death

Until the end of his life, he had to bear the cross of exile and the name of a disgraced metropolitan who did not belong to any autocephalous Church. He was forced to sign all his papers "traveling bishop." It is not surprising that it was this pilgrim of God, almost eighty years after his repose, who was sent by Jesus to the shepherds in a mountain village, isolated from the world, but close to Heaven, to serve the Easter Liturgy. Christ favors the shepherds who were the first to come to worship Him. He loves the simple, just like His faithful servant Nectarius. The bishop’s adopted son said: “He loved the local people very much, especially the poor and humble. When one of the high-ranking officials came to his office, he told me:

My child, how empty they are, these erudites..."

To this day, the Lord honors His humble and simple-minded children with the greatest miracles and consoles them with the prayers of angels and saints. This is confirmed by this amazing symbolic story that happened today. It grows up to the Biblical epic, stretches from the time of the forefather Abraham to St. Nektarios of Aegina. Still in its center, in the middle of a crazy world, until the death rattle, strangled by the networks of a totalitarian civilization, in the ark-cradle on the top of the mountain, there are heroes whose prototypes were sung in the psalms of King David. This story rises to the level of a Gospel parable. Before the ancient Greek epic. Until the mystery-archetype, where the Shepherd and the flock celebrate Easter together in blissful eternal joy. Where the laws, images and plot are unchanged now and ever and forever and ever.

The road back to the old acacia blurred underfoot from the heat and tears. The conductor looked back at the pilgrims staring at the glass and touched the key. The sound of the angelic hymn to Agni Parthena, performed by the brethren of the Athos Monastery of Simono Peter, poured down like drops of living rain:

Heaven's Honest Power and Light, more than all lights,

Most honorable Lady of all the Heavenly Armies,

Rejoice, Unbrided Bride...

The bus moved slowly down the slope. Pink rocks, a red dome, and candle cypress trees floated outside the window. And the sound grew and soared:

Sacred and Immaculate, Lady All-Singing,

Rejoice, unbridled Bride.

Incline towards me the mercy of the Divine Son,

Rejoice, unbridled Bride.

Intercessor of salvation, falling down I cry out to You:
Rejoice, unbridled Bride!

The Legend of Tower of Babel and the dispersion of nations - the last biblical legend dedicated to general history humanity. Chapter 11 of the book of Genesis ends with the genealogy of the descendants of Shem, one of the sons of Noah, after which the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob- the founders of the Jewish people. Abraham

the first of three biblical patriarchs who lived after the Flood.

IN European art the images of the biblical patriarchs remained in the shadows for a long time.
Old Testament history was perceived in Christian world as a prologue to the events set forth in the New Testament,

therefore the forefathers were revered primarily as ancestors of Christ. The Gospel of Matthew begins with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”: “Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judah and his brothers.”. Many generations later, from the descendants of Judah, Joseph was born, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Although Joseph was not formally the father of Christ at all, considered the Son of God, was for the church extremely important elevate the family of Joseph, in whose family Jesus was born and grew up, to the Old Testament patriarchs and emphasize that in his earthly life, Christ came from the line of Abraham.

Naturally, works dedicated to the patriarchs did not occupy a prominent place in Christian churches . In Russian churches from the 15th century. Images patriarchs traditionally placed in the upper, so-called forefather row iconostasis. In the art of Western Europe, scenes from the life of the patriarchs can be found in the sculptural decoration of Gothic cathedrals, on frescoes and mosaics, on the side doors of altars.

The turning point in relation to the topic that interests us came during the High Renaissance,

The Renaissance laid the foundation for the coming triumph of painting: the 17th century became the heyday of classical painting.

And it’s no coincidence in the 17th century, artists most often turned to scenes from the Old Testament, among which they were invariably attracted by the tales of the patriarchs. Note that although in the 17th century the artist became less dependent on the will of the customer, he was still not absolutely free to choose a theme for a future painting.

Thus, in Catholic countries - Italy and Spain - a wide appeal of painters to the Old Testament was not encouraged; on the contrary, in Protestant Holland such restrictions were no longer valid in the 17th century. Nevertheless, significant works Not only the Dutch - Rembrandt and the artists of his school, but also the native of Catholic Flanders Rubens, the devout Spaniards - Murillo, Ribera, Velazquez, and the Italian Caravaggio - create on Old Testament themes.
Nothing is eternal, there is no harmony, the world is in constant development, man is not perfect, not ideal, but how multifaceted, how interesting! This is what the artists of the 17th century declared, and it was the Old Testament legends that gave painters a precious opportunity to show a person at a turning point, as they now say, a fateful moment in his life.

In the legends about the patriarchs, the characters are given in development, their internal evolution very convincing. Let's take a closer look at the figure of Jacob. With the help of a dubious trick, he receives the blessing of his father Isaac and the right to the birthright. Then Jacob himself becomes a victim of an unworthy trick, a toy in the hands of his father-in-law: instead of Rachel, for whom Jacob served for seven years, Laban gives him Leah as his wife.

This is Jacob in his youth. In his declining years it is no longer Jacob, but Israel - the venerable father large family, who lived a meaningful life decent life. He fought with God, who appeared to him in the form of an angel (released on Text_9 “The Time of Angels”, part 2), his descendants will be as numerous as the sand of the sea. There is another reason that prompted artists to turn to the themes of the Old Testament: their interpretation gave the master more freedom than the embodiment of episodes from the Gospel on canvas.
Above gospel stories centuries-old canons gravitated: the scene itself, the characters, the composition, the indispensable set of attributes were “approved” back in the Middle Ages. These very stable canons were reproduced thousands of times, and although the painters of the 17th century interpreted them incomparably more freely than the medieval and even Renaissance masters, their task still included innovation within the existing tradition.

By turning to Old Testament legends, the artist gained much greater independence.

Uncountable numberOnce upon a time, European artists depicted the grieving mother, the Virgin Mary, in altar compositions with a crucifix. Powerlessly drooping, she always stands at the right hand of Christ.

Meanwhile we will count only a few works, the theme of which was the grief of his father Abraham, who, at the command of God, sacrificed his son Isaac, but each of these works offers original solution Topics

JUDITH

Character of the Old Testament deuterocanonical "Books of Judith", Jewish widow who saved her hometown from the invasion of the Assyrians.

According to the book “Judith,” the general Holofernes, commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, fulfilling his command to “take... vengeance on the whole earth,” passed through Mesopotamia, destroyed all its cities, burned all the crops and killed the men. Holofernes besieged the small city of Bethulia, where the young widow Judith lived. The woman snuck into the Assyrian camp and seduced Holofernes. When the commander fell asleep, Judith cut off his head. “Because her beauty captivated his soul, the sword passed through his neck!” The army, left without a leader, could not resist the inhabitants of Vetilui and was scattered. Judith received Holofernes's tent and all his utensils as a trophy and entered Bethulia as a triumphant.

Judith. Giorgione.

Around 1504

One of the many works of fine art on the theme of the story of Judith and Holofernes. Choosing the moment when the murder has already been committed, Giorgione, unlike many artists who turned to this biblical story, created surprisingly peaceful picture. Judith, holding a sword in her right hand, leans on a low parapet. Her left leg rests on the head of Holofernes. A harmonious seascape unfolds behind Judith.

LOT

. Lot, Abraham's nephew in the Bible, with whom he shared all the joys and hardships of a wandering life. Subsequently, having become rich, Lot separated from his uncle and settled in a city known for its depravity city of Sodom and was captured by the Mesopotamian kings, who raided the rich Sodom five-city. Lot was rescued from this captivity by the courage of Abraham, but Lot's subsequent life was ill-fated. He barely escaped the heavenly punishment that fell on the corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, his wife was turned into a pillar of salt, and he had to join in an incestuous relationship with his daughters, who later bore him sons

"Lot with his daughters."

Painting by Dutch artist Joachim Uitewael

ABRAHAM

Abraham - first according to the Bible of the three biblical patriarchs who lived after the Flood, ancestor of the Jews and (through Ismail) Arabs . According to legend, he originally had the name Abram and was born in Ur of the Chaldeans. There he married Sarah. Together with Sarah he left his native country. Along the way, Yahweh promised that Abraham's descendants would become a great nation. Following the command of Yahweh, Abraham, in the 75th year of his life, continued his journey; In a time of famine, together with his wife and his people, Abraham went to Egypt, where, for fear of being killed, he passed Sarah off as his sister. Meanwhile, Abraham was worried about his childlessness, but Yahweh again promised that he would have countless offspring, like the sand of the earth. This promise was sealed by the conclusion of the union (covenant) of God and Abraham. Then Abraham learned that his descendants would be slaves on their land for another 400 years. However, the still childless Sarah gave her slave to Abraham as a wife. Hagar, who conceived his son Ismaila. God's reappearance confirms that the promise he made was not about Ishmael, but Isaac, whom Sarah is about to give birth to. Then God commanded Abraham to be called Abraham (the father of crowds of nations), and that all masculine was circumcised in Abraham's house. When Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, Isaac was born. Sarah insisted on sending Hagar and baby Ishmael into the desert. To test the strength of Abraham's faith, God ordered Isaac to be sacrificed to Him. But when the bound Isaac was already lying on the altar and Abraham raised his hand with a knife to stab him, an angel stopped Abraham’s hand, and instead of Isaac, a ram entangled in the thickets was sacrificed. After Sarah's death, Abraham married a woman named Keturah (Ketura), and had 6 more sons. Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried next to Sarah in the family cemetery in the Cave of Machpelah.

Peter Lastman. Abraham on the way to Canaan. 1614

The painting illustrates the text of the biblical legend, which tells how Abraham, the chosen one of God, leads his people to the fertile land of Canaan. Hard way finished, the promised land lay ahead, and in the rays of divine light he and his companions, among whom Lot and Sarah in Dutch clothing) froze in doses of amazement and gratitude.

Peter Powell Rubens. Hagar's departure from Abraham's house.

Hagar - in Old Testament legends- Egyptian, Sarah's slave and Abraham's concubine.

Childless Sarah, acting in accordance with custom, herself proposed that her husband “enter” Hagar with the intention of adopting the conceived child. “Abram obeyed the words of Sarah... He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise her mistress...” Sarah began to oppress Hagar, and she ran away from her into the desert, but the messenger of God ordered her to return. " The son whom you give birth to you will give the name Ishmael, for God has heard about your sufferings. He will be strong as a wild ass, and a large nation will come from him." After the birth of Sarah and Abraham's son Isaac at the patriarchal celebration on the day he was weaned, the old enmity between the mistress and the maid (complicated by the legal conflict between the birthright of Ishmael and the legitimacy of Isaac) flared up with renewed vigor. “And Sarah saw that the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, was mocking. And she said to Abraham: drive out this slave and son...” Hagar, in her arms with Ishmael, was forced to go into exile. Hagar went south and settled in the Arabian desert, where Ishmael later became the founder of the Arab tribes, nicknamed the Ishmaelites (after his name) and Hagarites(after his mother's name). As a mother Ishmael, traditionally considered the progenitor of the Arabs, Hagar occupies an important place in Arabic traditions.

Many legends about Hagar have been preserved in Arabic literature; in painting, the scene of the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael from the house of Abraham has been repeatedly reproduced by artists of all times.

ISAAC

Son of the elderly Abraham and Sarah, who became the bearer of all the promises given to him. When he was 37 years old, Abraham received the command to sacrifice him, and Isaac meekly obeyed his father: the sacrificial knife was already raised over him, but was rejected by the angel. Isaac was married to the granddaughter of his Mesopotamian uncle Nahor, Rebekah, with whom he had two sons - Esau and Jacob. His life passed without other equally outstanding events, and he died at 180 years old, becoming one of the longest living patriarchs.

Sacrifice of Abraham, 1635.

Painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn

To test the power of Abraham's faith, he received a command from God to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed without hesitation, but at the most decisive moment, when Isaac was lying tied on the altar and Abraham was already raising a knife to plunge into his son, an angel stopped him and saved the boy. This feat of Abraham serves as an endless theme of memories for Jews in their prayers, and for many centuries the image of the sacrifice of Isaac was a favorite subject in the Christian church for stucco and painting work artists.