The first author of the work "Life of SergiusRadonezhsky ", a summary of which is presented here, Epiphanius the Wise. He took up this work the next year after the death of the Reverend, that is, in 1393, according to a new style. Unfortunately, the death of Epiphany prevented him from completing his work on life, and before us the official script signed by Epiphany's hand did not reach the lists. It is difficult for an unprepared modern reader to perceive the text written in the XIV century, so today it is most often not the modern revision, but the modern revision, authored by Boris Zaitsev, that is the Life of Sergius of Radonezh.
Features of life
When you begin to read the life of a saint,It is necessary to have an idea of the peculiarities of the genre and to understand that this is not a hundred percent reliable story, but it is not an absolute fiction either. In the course of the exposition of the work "The Life of Sergius of Radonezh", a brief summary of which will follow, I will note certain features of life as a genre.
Childhood and youth
The future ascetic was born in the family of the princeserving Cyril and his wife - Mary, a child in the world was given the name Bartholomew. As Epiphanius writes, little Bartholomew showed strict piety from the very infancy. (By the way, this is the canonical moment for life - an emphasis on the fact that the future saint differed from others in behavior as early as childhood.) Bartholomew was hard at teaching, even in spite of his zeal, but once he met an old man in the forest, took him to his house, where they prayed together. The elder gave Bartholomew the prosphora and the Psalter, opened at one of the most difficult moments. After he had eaten the whey, the young man began to read aloud without hesitation, although he had not been able to do this before. After the death of his parents Bartholomew goes to a secluded life with his brother Stefan. The invited hegumen Mitrofan tonsures him into monasticism with the name of Sergius.
Young ascetic
"The Life of Sergius of Radonezh", summarywho does not give an opportunity to describe the ascetic life of St. Sergius, reports that about 20 years later he retired to desert places where he worked, prayed, succumbed to his exploits and fasted for a long time. Demons and the devil himself tried to seduce and intimidate the saint, but he did not succumb. (By the way, mention of satanic intrigues and temptations in the life is almost mandatory.) Beasts began to come to Sergius, including a memorable bear.
The monastery around the cell of Sergius
Прослышав о чудесном подвижнике, люди приходили к him with his sorrows and worries, seeking solace. Gradually, a monastery began to gather around a secluded cell in the forest. Sergius refused to accept the rank of hegumen, but insisted on a very strict statute of the monastery. Once in the monastery ended the bread. There was nowhere to get food, the monks began to grumble and starve. Sergius still prayed and instructed his companions about patience. Suddenly, unknown merchants came to the monastery, unloaded a lot of food and disappeared in an unknown direction. Soon after the prayer of Sergius, near the monastery, he scored a source of clear, healing sick water.
Wonderworker
There are many stories about the wonders of prep.Sergius. You can read about them in the original, but in our version - “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh: Summary” - it should be said that the saint always hid his good deeds and was very upset, showing true Christian humility when they tried to reward or repay him. Nevertheless, the fame of the saint grew more and more. It is well known that it was St. Sergius of Radonezh who blessed Dmitry Donskoy to the Kulikovo battle. The saint devoted almost all of his time to hard work and prayer, the rest was spent in soul-saving conversations with everyone.
Righteous death
The humble saint ascetic knew for six monthsabout his demise (which is also the canonical element of life). He died in 1393, at the end of September, and was buried in the right-hand porch of the monastery church. For many centuries of existence and prosperity through the prayers of its patron saint, the monastery has become one of the largest and most important laurels in the world - the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra.
You have read the article “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh: A Brief Content”, but, without a doubt, the work of Epiphanius is worth it to be read in its entirety.
