Russia has given the Church many saints who are venerated by believers not only in our state, but also far beyond its borders. The name of St. Sergius of Radonezh is known throughout the world. The great abbot of the Russian Land - this is the name of this amazing prayer book and devotee of piety.
The Monk Sergius of Radonezh, called Bartholomew in the world, is the founder of the eldership, the cenobitic monastic life (which traces the continuity of such a way of life from the founders of the Kiev Caves Lavra, Venerable Anthony and Theodosius), the founder of the Great Trinity-Sergeev Lavra and several other monastic monks. The Monk Sergius was a follower of the hesychast teaching, which consists in mental prayer and striving for personal union with God. That is why the monk is also called the Great Prayer Book and Mourner of the Russian Land.
The exact date of birth of the saint is unknown. Historians put forward two versions - May 1314 or May 1322. The date of the death of the righteous man is September 25 (old style), 1392.
The righteous man was born in the Rostov principality in the family of Saints Cyril and Mary. In baptism he received a name in honor of the holy Apostle Bartholomew - one of the 12 closest disciples of Christ. From the very infancy, Bartholomew miraculously showed his will to fasting abstinence - on Wednesdays and Fridays he refused to eat milk.
Bartholomew was trained in the schools of the Rostov principality, however, unlike his brothers Stephen and Peter, Bartholomew was given a very bad letter. From the life of the saint it is known that the youth prayed a lot to the Lord for the gift of the ability to learn. Bartholomew's prayers were answered. Once he met with a praying elder, to whom he complained about problems in his teaching. The elder gave the youth a prosphora and promised that soon the boy would be able to comprehend science without any problems. The prediction came true, from that time Bartholomew continued his literacy training with extraordinary ease.
Even before reaching the age of twelve, Bartholomew began to fast strictly, refusing food altogether on Wednesday and Friday. On the rest of the days, the boy ate bread and water. It is especially worth noting the devotional feat of a young lad. Bartholomew loved to pray for a long time at night.
After receiving his education in Rostov, Bartholomew and his family moved to Radonezh. The desire for a solitary monastic life has long settled in the heart of the young man, but Bartholomew was able to fulfill this desire only after the blessed death of his parents and the burial of the latter in the Khotkovo monastery.
After the death of his parents, Bartholomew left his inheritance share to his brother Peter, and he, together with Stephen, went in search of a secluded place for prayer exploits. Finding a suitable place, the brothers built a temple there in the name of the Holy Trinity. After that, priests came to the brothers with the relics of the martyrs, an antimension and other relics necessary for the consecration of the temple.
Soon after the consecration of the temple, Stephen left his brother. It was after this that Bartholomew took monastic vows with the name Sergius. Many had heard of the hermit and ascetic life of the saint, so people began to flock to the monk, wishing for monastic solitude and prayer to God. Soon (presumably in 1342), through the labors of Sergius and his disciples, a monastic monastery was erected, now known as the Trinity-St. Sergeev Lavra. However, the monk was not the first abbot of the monastery. Only in 1354 he was ordained a priest and became the spiritual father and head of the monastery.
During the years of his exploits, the monk brought up many great saints. His disciples themselves dispersed across Russia in search of solitude, founding numerous monastic communal communities.
The Monk Sergius is known as a great peacemaker. In times of disagreement between the princes, he tried to reconcile the latter, appealed for unity and a common desire to defend his native land, because historically that time is known as a difficult period of the Tatar-Mongol conquest. The Monk Sergius often met with the righteous prince Dimitri Donskoy. The great ascetic blessed the prince for the Battle of Kulikovo and gave his monks Peresvet and Oslyabya to participate in the battle.
The great hegumen performed many miracles during his lifetime. One of the most amazing is the resurrection of the deceased. It is known from the life of the saint that the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to the ascetic many times.
The great monastic deed, love for one's neighbor and the Motherland, aspiration for peacemaking - all this found its embodiment in the life of the saint. That is why the cultural ideal of Holy Russia is associated with the name of the saint.
At present, they resort to the saint in their prayers for various needs. In the Orthodox tradition, it is customary to pray especially to this ascetic for the granting of the ability to learn to read and write.
