In a Palestinian monastery in the vicinity of Caesarea lived the monk Zosima. Sent to a monastery from childhood, he labored in it until the age of 53, when he was embarrassed by the thought: "Will there be a holy man in the farthest wilderness who surpassed me in sobriety and deed?"

As soon as he thought this way, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “You, Zosima, have labored well in human terms, but there is not a single righteous person among people (Rom. 3, 10). In order for you to understand how many other and higher images of salvation there are, leave this monastery, like Abraham from his father’s house (Gen. 12, 1), and go to the monastery located near the Jordan.”

Abba Zosima immediately left the monastery and, following the Angel, came to the Jordan Monastery and settled there.

Here he saw the elders, truly shining in exploits. Abba Zosima began to imitate the holy monks in spiritual work.

So a lot of time passed, and the Holy Forty Day approached. There was a custom in the monastery, for the sake of which God brought St. Zosima here. On the first Sunday of Great Lent, hegumen served Divine Liturgy, everyone took communion of the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, then ate a small meal and again gathered in church.

Having made a prayer and the prescribed number of prostrations, the elders, asking forgiveness from each other, took a blessing from the abbot and under the general singing of the psalm "The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior: whom shall I fear? The Lord Protector of my life: from whom shall I fear?" (Ps. 26:1) they opened the monastery gates and went into the wilderness.

Each of them took with him a moderate amount of food, who needed what, while some took nothing at all into the desert and ate roots. The monks crossed the Jordan and dispersed as far as possible so as not to see how someone was fasting and ascetic.

When did it end great post, the monks returned to the monastery on Palm Sunday with the fruit of their work (Rom. 6, 21-22), having tested their conscience (1 Pet. 3, 16). At the same time, no one asked anyone how he worked and accomplished his feat.

In that year, Abba Zosima, according to monastic custom, crossed the Jordan. He wanted to go deeper into the desert to meet one of the saints and great elders who are being saved there and praying for peace.

He walked in the desert for 20 days, and one day, when he was singing the psalms of the 6th hour and doing the usual prayers, suddenly a shadow of a human body appeared to his right. He was horrified, thinking that he was seeing a demonic ghost, but, having crossed himself, he put aside his fear and, having finished his prayer, turned towards the shadow and saw a naked man walking through the desert, whose body was black from the heat of the sun, and his burnt short hair turned white, like a lamb's fleece. Abba Zosima was overjoyed, because he had not seen a single living creature during those days, and immediately headed towards him.

But as soon as the naked hermit saw Zosima coming towards him, he immediately started to run away from him. Abba Zosima, forgetting his senility and fatigue, quickened his pace. But soon, exhausted, he stopped by a dried-up stream and began to tearfully beg the retreating ascetic: “Why are you running from me, a sinful old man, fleeing in this desert? Wait for me, weak and unworthy, and give me your holy prayer and blessing, for the sake of the Lord, who never shunned anyone.”

The stranger, without turning around, shouted to him: “Forgive me, Abba Zosima, I can’t turn around and appear to your face: I’m a woman, and, as you see, I don’t have any clothes to cover my bodily nakedness. But if you want to pray for me, a great and accursed sinner, throw me your cloak to cover yourself, then I can come to you for blessing.”

“She would not have known me by name if she had not acquired the gift of clairvoyance from the Lord through holiness and unknown deeds,” thought Abba Zosima and hurried to fulfill what was said to him.

Covering herself with a cloak, the ascetic turned to Zosima: “What did you think, Abba Zosima, to talk to me, a sinful and unwise woman? What do you want to learn from me and, sparing no effort, spent so much labor?” He knelt down and asked for her blessing. In the same way, she bowed before him, and for a long time both asked one another: "Bless." Finally the ascetic said: "Abba Zosima, it is fitting for you to bless and make a prayer, since you have been honored with the dignity of a presbyter and for many years, standing before Christ's altar, you bring the Holy Gifts to the Lord."

These words frightened St. Zosima even more. With a deep sigh, he answered her: “O spiritual mother! It is clear that of the two of us you have come closer to God and died to the world. You recognized me by name and called me a presbyter, never having seen me before. Your measure is due to bless me. For the Lord’s sake.”

Finally yielding to Zosima's stubbornness, the nun said: "Blessed be God, who desires the salvation of all men." Abba Zosima answered "Amen", and they got up from the ground. The ascetic again said to the elder: “For what reason have you come, Father, to me, a sinner, devoid of all virtue? However, it is clear that the grace of the Holy Spirit has instructed you to perform the one service that my soul needs. Tell me first, Abba, how do Christians live today, how do the saints of God’s Churches grow and prosper?”

Abba Zosima answered her: “Through your holy prayers, God granted the Church and us all a perfect world. But heed the prayer of an unworthy old man, my mother, pray, for the sake of God, for the whole world and for me, a sinner, that this desert walk will not be fruitless for me.”

The holy ascetic said: “It is more fitting for you, Abba Zosima, having a sacred rank, to pray for me and for everyone. That’s why you have been given the rank.

Having said this, the saint turned to the east and, raising her eyes and raising her hands to heaven, began to pray in a whisper. The elder saw her rise in the air to a cubit from the ground. From this wonderful vision, Zosima fell on his face, fervently praying and not daring to utter anything but "Lord, have mercy!"

A thought came into his soul - is it not a ghost that introduces him into temptation? The venerable ascetic, turning around, lifted him from the ground and said: “Why are you so confused by thoughts, Abba Zosima? I am not a ghost. I am a sinful and unworthy woman, although I am protected by holy Baptism.”

Having said this, she made the sign of the cross over herself. Seeing and hearing this, the elder fell with tears at the feet of the ascetic: “I beseech you by Christ, our God, do not hide your ascetic life from me, but tell it all in order to make the greatness of God clear to everyone.

And the holy ascetic said: “I am embarrassed, father, to tell you about my shameless deeds. For then you will have to run away from me, closing your eyes and ears, as they run from a poisonous snake. But still I will tell you, father, not keeping silent about any of my sins, but you, I conjure you, do not stop praying for me, a sinner, but I will gain boldness on the Day of Judgment.

I was born in Egypt, and while my parents were still alive, at the age of twelve, I left them and went to Alexandria. There I lost my chastity and indulged in unrestrained and insatiable fornication. For more than seventeen years, I indulged in sin without restraint and did everything free of charge. I did not take money not because I was rich. I lived in poverty and made money with yarn. I thought that the whole meaning of life is to satisfy carnal lust.

Leading such a life, I once saw a multitude of people from Libya and Egypt going to the sea to sail to Jerusalem for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I also wanted to sail with them. But not for the sake of Jerusalem and not for the sake of the holiday, but - forgive me, father - so that there would be more with whom to indulge in debauchery. So I got on the ship.

Now, Father, believe me, I myself am surprised how the sea endured my debauchery and fornication, how the earth did not open its mouth and bring me alive to hell, which deceived and destroyed so many souls ... But, apparently, God desired my repentance, not even the death of a sinner and patiently awaiting my conversion.

So I arrived in Jerusalem and all the days before the holiday, as on the ship, I was engaged in bad deeds.

When the holy feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord arrived, I still walked, catching the souls of the young in sin. Seeing that everyone went to the church very early, where the Life-Giving Tree was located, I went along with everyone and entered the church vestibule. When the hour of the Holy Exaltation came, I wanted to enter the church with all the people. With great difficulty, making my way to the door, I, accursed, tried to squeeze in. But as soon as I stepped on the threshold, a certain God's power, not allowing them to enter, and threw them far from the doors, while all the people were walking freely. I thought that, perhaps, due to female weakness, I could not squeeze through the crowd, and again I tried to push the people aside with my elbows and make my way to the door. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get in. As soon as my foot touched the church threshold, I stopped. The church accepted everyone, did not forbid anyone to enter, but they did not let me, the accursed one. This happened three or four times. My strength is gone. I moved away and stood in the corner of the church porch.

Then I felt that it was my sins that forbade me to see the Life-Giving Tree, the grace of the Lord touched my heart, I sobbed and began to beat my chest in repentance. Lifting sighs to the Lord from the depths of my heart, I saw an icon in front of me Holy Mother of God and turned to her with a prayer: “O Virgin, Mistress, who gave birth to the flesh of God - the Word! I know that I am unworthy to look at Your icon. Do not forbid me to see the Tree, on which the Lord was crucified in flesh, shedding His innocent Blood and for me, a sinner, for my deliverance from sin. Command, Mistress, let the doors of the holy worship of the Cross be opened to me. O Cross of Your Son, I will renounce the world and immediately go to where You, as a Guarantor, guide me.

And when I prayed like that, I suddenly felt that my prayer had been heard. In tenderness of faith, hoping for the Merciful Mother of God, I again joined those entering the temple, and no one pushed me back and did not forbid me to enter. I walked in fear and trembling until I reached the door and was able to see the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

Thus I came to know the mysteries of God and that God is ready to receive those who repent. I fell to the ground, prayed, kissed the shrines and left the temple, hastening to appear again before my Guarantor, where I had given a promise. Kneeling before the icon, I prayed before it:

"O our Benevolent Lady, the Mother of God! You did not disdain my unworthy prayer. Glory to God, who accepts the repentance of sinners by You. The time has come for me to fulfill the promise in which You were the Guarantor. Now, Lady, guide me on the path of repentance."

And now, before I had finished my prayer, I heard a voice, as if speaking from afar: "If you cross the Jordan, you will find blissful peace."

I immediately believed that this voice was for my sake, and, crying, exclaimed to the Mother of God: “Lady Lady, do not leave me, a sinner, but help me,” and immediately left the church vestibule and went away. One person gave me three copper coins. With them I bought myself three loaves and learned from the seller the way to the Jordan.

At sunset, I reached the church of St. John the Baptist near the Jordan. Having bowed first of all in the church, I immediately went down to the Jordan and washed his face and hands with holy water. Then I took communion in the church of St. John the Forerunner of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ, ate half of one of my loaves, washed it down with holy Jordanian water, and slept that night on the ground near the church. The next morning, having found a small boat not far away, I crossed the river in it to the other side and again fervently prayed to my Instructor to guide me as She herself pleased. Immediately after that, I came to this desert."

Abba Zosima asked the monk: "How many years, my mother, have passed since you settled in this desert?" - "I think," she answered, "47 years have passed since I left the Holy City."

Abba Zosima again asked: "What do you have or what do you find for your food here, my mother?" And she answered: "I had two and a half loaves with me when I crossed the Jordan, they slowly dried up and turned to stone, and, eating little by little, for many years I ate from them."

Abba Zosima asked again: “Have you really been without illness for so many years? And did you not accept any temptations from sudden applications and temptations?” “Believe me, Abba Zosima,” the reverend replied, “I spent 17 years in this desert, as if fighting with fierce beasts with my thoughts ... When I began to eat food, the thought immediately came to me of meat and fish, to which I was accustomed in Egypt. I also wanted wine, because I drank a lot of it when I was in the world. I suffered even more severe misfortunes: I was seized by the desire for fornication songs, they seemed to be heard to me, confusing my heart and hearing. Weeping and beating my chest, I then remembered the vows that I made, going into the wilderness, before the icon of the Holy Mother of God, my Guarantor, and wept, praying to drive away the thoughts that tormented my soul. When repentance was performed to the extent of prayer and weeping, I saw this from everywhere was the Light, and then instead of a storm, I was surrounded by a great silence.

Forgive thoughts, Abba, how do I confess to you? A passionate fire flared up inside my heart and scorched me all over, arousing lust. At the appearance of accursed thoughts, I fell to the ground and seemed to see that the Most Holy Guarantor Herself was standing before me and was judging me, who had violated this promise. So I did not get up, lying prostrate day and night on the ground, until repentance was performed again and I was surrounded by the same blessed Light, driving away evil embarrassments and thoughts.

So I lived in this desert for the first seventeen years. Darkness after darkness, misfortune after misfortune befell me, a sinner. But from that time until now, the Mother of God, my Helper, guides me in everything.

Abba Zosima again asked: "Didn't you really need food or clothing here?"

She answered: “My bread ran out, as I said, in these seventeen years. After that, I began to eat roots and what I could find in the wilderness. The dress that was on me when I crossed the Jordan was torn and decayed long ago, and then I had to endure and suffer a lot and from the heat, when the heat burned me, and from the winter, when I was shaking from the cold. How many times I fell to the ground, as if dead. How many times I was in immeasurable struggle with various misfortunes, troubles and temptations. But from that time to the present day, the power of God unknownly and in many ways guarded my sinful soul and humble body. I was nourished and covered by the word of God, which contains everything (Deut. 8, 3), for a person will not live on bread alone, but on every word of God (Matt. 4, 4; Luke 4, 4), and having no cover of stones they will be clothed with it (Job 24:8), if they put off their sinful garments (Col. 3:9).

When Abba Zosima heard that the holy ascetic also spoke from the Holy Scriptures, from the books of Moses and Job and from the Psalms of David, he then asked the reverend: “Where, my mother, did you learn psalms and other Books?”

She smiled after listening to this question, and answered this way: “Believe me, man of God, I have not seen a single person but you since I crossed the Jordan. I have never studied books before, I have never heard church singing, or Divine reading. 13) However, enough, I have already confessed my whole life to you, but with what I began, I end with this: I conjure you the incarnation of God the Word - pray, holy abba, for me, a great sinner.

And I also conjure you by the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ - everything that you heard from me, do not tell a single one until God takes me from the earth. And do what I am about to tell you. Next year, in Great Lent, do not go beyond the Jordan, as your monastic custom commands."

Again Abba Zosima was surprised that their monastic rank was also known to the holy ascetic, although he did not say a single word about it before her.

"Stay, abba," continued the reverend, "in the monastery. However, even if you want to leave the monastery, you won't be able to... And when Holy Great Thursday of the Lord's Last Supper arrives, put the Life-Giving Body and Blood of Christ, our God, into the holy vessel and bring it to me. Hegumen of your monastery, say this: Take heed to yourself and your flock (Acts 20:23; 1 Tim. 4:16). However, I don’t want you to tell him this now, but when the Lord directs.

Having said this and having once again asked for prayers, the nun turned and went into the depths of the desert.

For the whole year, Elder Zosima remained in silence, not daring to reveal to anyone what the Lord had revealed to him, and diligently prayed that the Lord would vouchsafe him to see the holy ascetic again.

When the first week of the holy Great Lent came again, the Monk Zosima, due to illness, had to remain in the monastery. Then he remembered the prophetic words of the saint that he would not be able to leave the monastery. After a few days, the Monk Zosima was healed of his illness, but nevertheless remained until Holy Week in the monastery.

The day of the Last Supper is approaching. Then Abba Zosima fulfilled what was commanded to him - late in the evening went out of the monastery to the Jordan and sat down on the bank in anticipation. The saint hesitated, and Abba Zosima prayed to God that He would not deprive him of a meeting with the ascetic.

Finally, the nun came and stood on the other side of the river. Rejoicing, the Monk Zosima rose and praised God. The thought came to him: how can she cross the Jordan without a boat? But the nun, having crossed Jordan with the sign of the cross, quickly walked on the water. When the elder wanted to bow to her, she forbade him, shouting from the middle of the river: "What are you doing, abba? After all, you are a priest, the bearer of the great Mysteries of God."

Having crossed the river, the nun said to Abba Zosima: "Bless, father." He answered her with trepidation, horrified by the wondrous vision: "Truly, God is not false, promising to liken to Himself all who are cleansed, as far as possible, to mortals. Glory to Thee, Christ our God, Who has shown me through His holy servant how far I am from the measure of perfection."

After that, the nun asked him to read "I believe" and "Our Father". At the end of the prayer, she, having communed the Holy Terrible Mysteries of Christ, stretched out her hands to heaven and, with tears and trembling, said the prayer of St. Simeon the God-Receiver: "Now let Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word with peace, as if my eyes have seen Thy salvation."

Then the nun again turned to the elder and said: “Forgive me, abba, also fulfill my other desire. Now go to your monastery, and next year come to that dried-up stream where we spoke with you for the first time." "If it were possible for me," replied Abba Zosima, "to follow you incessantly to behold your holiness!" The saint again asked the elder: "Pray, for the Lord's sake, pray for me and remember my wretchedness." but he returned to the monastery in spiritual exultation and trembling, and in one thing he reproached himself that he had not asked the name of the saint, but he hoped to learn her name at last the next year.

A year passed, and Abba Zosima again went to the desert. Praying, he came to a dry stream, on east side whom he saw the holy ascetic. She lay dead, with her arms folded as it should be on her chest, her face turned to the East. Abba Zosima washed her feet with tears, not daring to touch her body, wept for a long time over the deceased ascetic and began to sing psalms, befitting sorrow for the death of the righteous, and read funeral prayers. But he doubted whether it would be pleasing to the reverend if he buried her. As soon as he thought about it, he saw that it was inscribed at her head: “Buriate, Abba Zosima, in this place the body of the humble Mary.

Having read this inscription, Abba Zosima was surprised at first who could have made it, for the ascetic herself did not know how to read and write. But he was glad to finally know her name. Abba Zosima understood that the Monk Mary, having communed the Holy Mysteries on the Jordan from his hands, in an instant passed her long desert path, along which he, Zosima, walked for twenty days, and immediately departed to the Lord.

Having glorified God and wetting the earth and the body of St. Mary with tears, Abba Zosima said to himself: “It’s time for you, Elder Zosima, to do what you have been ordered to do. But how will you be able to dig a grave, having nothing in your hands?” Having said this, he saw a fallen tree lying not far in the desert, took it and began to dig. But the earth was too dry, no matter how much he dug, sweating, he could not do anything. Straightening up, Abba Zosima saw a huge lion near the body of the Monk Mary, which was licking her feet. The elder was seized with fear, but he signed himself with the sign of the cross, believing that he would remain unharmed by the prayers of the holy ascetic. Then the lion began to caress the elder, and Abba Zosima, kindled in spirit, ordered the lion to dig a grave in order to bury the body of St. Mary. At his word, the lion dug a ditch with its paws, in which the body of the reverend was buried. Having fulfilled what they had bequeathed, each went his own way: the lion to the desert, and Abba Zosima to the monastery, blessing and praising Christ our God.

Arriving at the monastery, Abba Zosima told the monks and the abbot what he had seen and heard from St. Mary. Everyone was amazed, hearing about the greatness of God, and with fear, faith and love they established to create the memory of the Monk Mary and honor the day of her repose. Abba John, hegumen of the monastery, according to the word of the venerable one, with God's help corrected what was necessary in the monastery. Abba Zosima, having lived pleasing to God in the same monastery and a little before reaching a hundred years old, ended his temporal life here, passing into eternal life.

Thus, the ancient ascetics of the glorious monastery of the holy and all-praised Forerunner of the Lord John, located on the Jordan, handed down to us the marvelous story about the life of the Monk Mary of Egypt. This story was not originally written down by them, but was reverently passed on by the holy elders from mentors to disciples.

But I, - says St. Sophronius, Archbishop of Jerusalem (Comm. 11 March), the first descriptor of the Life, - that I received in my turn from the holy fathers, betrayed everything to a written story.

God, who works great miracles and rewards with great gifts all those who turn to Him with faith, may He reward those who read, and listen, and who transmitted this story to us, and vouchsafe us a good part with Blessed Mary of Egypt and with all the saints, God-thought and their labors that have pleased God from time immemorial. Let us also give glory to God the Eternal King, and let us also be vouchsafed to find mercy on the Day of Judgment in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to whom all glory, honor, and power, and worship with the Father, and the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever, are due, amen.

For many centuries, believers have venerated the Monk Mary, the intercessor of all repentant sinners. . The life of St. Mary of Egypt is an example of a complete change in a person by the grace of God and the power of repentance. The Reverend Mother began her life with a complete immersion in depravity. And she finished, having so exalted her spirit above the body through the feats of asceticism that she could walk on water and rise into the air, and already looked more like an angel than a creature of flesh and blood.

Life of Saint Mary

The saint was born in the 5th century in the province of Egypt. While still twelve years old, Mary ran away from home and went to the capital of Alexandria, with a completely conscious desire for an unclean, riotous life.

In her youth, the future hermit was very beautiful, attracted many men and fell in love with debauchery and fornication. “For more than seventeen years, I indulged in sin without restraint and did everything free of charge. I did not take money not because I was rich. I lived in poverty and earned money with yarn,” the reverend herself will tell about her sinful past.

Venerable Mary of Egypt

The turning point that put an end to this ugly life and the beginning of a new life occurred in Jerusalem. In those days, many believers went from Alexandria to the Holy City, to worship the Holy Cross of the Lord. Mary was among them. However, her thoughts in those days were far from pious. All the way to Jerusalem, she spent seducing pilgrims.

Going ashore, Mary saw how a crowd of people moved towards the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and went with them, but could not enter Holy place. Some invisible force was pushing her away from the gate. Maria tried to enter again and again, but the entrance was closed to her.

Then there was a complete revolution in the soul of the great sinner. Mary at one moment realized her guilt before God, repented and left past life. Above the gate was an image of the Virgin and Child. The future reverend turned to Her with tears and fervent prayer. Mary asked the Blessed Virgin to let her bow to the shrine, promised to change her life forever. After this prayer, the entrance opened, and the repentant sinner was able to enter the temple without obstacles.

From that day began her path to holiness. As before, she gave herself over to sin with her whole soul, so now she recklessly rushed to repentance. Having confessed and communed, Mary, without delay, headed for the desert beyond the Jordan. As she walked there, staggering, with a tear-stained face, a man gave her alms - three coins, with which Mary bought three loaves. She, miraculously, fed on them for many years. In total, the saint spent 47 years in the desert.

In Jerusalem, next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the chapel of St. Mary of Egypt was built. At the very place where her miraculous repentance took place. Many other temples are dedicated to her.
Among the saints, the venerable elder Zosima is also revered. Day of his memory 4 (17) April.

Watch a video about the life of Mary of Egypt

“It is good to keep the royal secret, but it is glorious to open and preach the works of God” ( Tov. 12 :7 ), - this is what the archangel Raphael said to Tobit, when the miraculous healing of his blindness took place. Indeed, it is terrible and disastrous not to keep the royal secret, but to remain silent about the glorious deeds of God is a great loss for the soul, says the saint. Sophronius in the 7th century. Saint Sophronius was a lamp not only for the Palestinian, but for the entire Eastern Church. It was for his holiness that Sophronius was elected Patriarch of Jerusalem (in 634). He ruled Church 10 years old, zealously defending Orthodox teaching from heretic Monothelites. The well-known writings of St. Sophronius contain in themselves, others - a dogmatic teaching, others are written for edification in piety, either in the form of words and stories, or in the form of songs. Saint John of Damascus spoke with praise of Sophroniev's description of the life of St. Mary of Egypt. Memory of St. Sophronia is celebrated Church on March 11th.

I am afraid to hide Divine deeds in silence and, remembering the threatening misfortune to the slave (Matt. 25 :18, 25 ), who buried the talent given by God in the ground, I cannot but tell the holy story that has come down to me. And let no one think, continues St. Sophronius, that I dared to write a lie when someone has doubts about this wondrous event: it is not fitting for me to lie about the sacred. If, however, there are such people who, having read this scripture and were struck by a glorious event, do not believe, then may the Lord be merciful to them, because, reflecting on the weakness of a human being, they consider impossible those miraculous deeds that are performed with holy people. However, we must already begin the story of the glorious event that occurred in our family.

In one of the Palestinian monasteries lived an old man, adorned with the piety of life and reasonableness of speech, and from early youth valiantly labored in the monastic feat. The elder's name was Zosima. (Let no one think that this is Zosima, a heretic, although they have the same name: one deserved a bad reputation and was a stranger to the church, the other was righteous and was glorified.) Zosima went through all the stages of fasting feats and observed all the rules taught by the greatest monks. Fulfilling all this, he never ceased to learn the Divine words: and lying down, and getting up, and at work, and eating food (if one can only call food what he ate in very small quantities), he incessantly and constantly did one thing - he sang divine hymns and looked for teachings in Divine books. Even in infancy, he was sent to a monastery, where he valiantly labored in fasting until the age of 53. But then he began to be embarrassed by the thought that he had reached complete perfection and no longer needed any instructions.

“Is there,” he thought, “on earth a monk who can instruct me and set an example of such fasting, which I have not yet gone through? Is there a man in the desert who surpasses me?

When the elder was thinking like this, an angel appeared to him and said:

"Zosima! You labored diligently, as far as it is possible for a person, and valiantly passed the fasting feat. However, there is no person who could say about himself that he has reached perfection. There are feats unknown to you, and more difficult than those you have gone through. To know how many other paths lead to salvation, leave your country, like the most glorious of the patriarchs Abraham ( Gen. 12 :1 ), and go to the monastery lying by the Jordan River."

Following this instruction, Zosima left the monastery where he labored from infancy, went to the Jordan and reached the monastery where the voice of God directed him.

Pushing open the monastery gates with his hand, Zosima found the monk-gatekeeper and told him about himself. He informed the abbot, who ordered to call the elder who had come to him. Zosima came to the abbot and performed the usual monastic bow and prayer.

“Where are you from, brother,” the abbot asked him, “and why did you come to us poor elders?”

Zosima replied:

“Where I came from, there is no need to talk about it; but I, father, came seeking spiritual benefit for myself, because I heard many great and praiseworthy things about you, which can lead the soul to God.

“Brother,” the abbot said to him, “one God can heal the infirmities of the soul; May He guide you and us in His ways for the benefit of the soul, but a person cannot correct a person if he does not constantly delve into himself and vigilantly, with God's help, does not perform feats. But since the love of Christ prompted you to visit us poor elders, then stay with us if you have come for this. May the good shepherd, who gave his soul for our salvation, send down on all of us the grace of the Holy Spirit.

After these words, Zosima bowed to the abbot, asked for his prayers and blessings, and remained in the monastery. Here he saw the elders shining good deeds and piety, with a fiery heart serving the Lord with unceasing singing, all-night prayer, and constant labor. Psalms were always on their lips, an idle word was never heard, they knew nothing about the acquisition of temporary goods and about worldly concerns. One thing they had a constant desire is to mortify their flesh. Their main and constant food was the word of God, and they nourished their bodies with bread and water, as far as love for God allowed each. Seeing this, Zosima studied and prepared for the upcoming feat.

A lot of time passed, the days of the holy great fast came, the monastery gates were locked and opened only if someone was sent on business of the monastery. That area was deserted; the laity not only did not come, but did not even know about this monastery.

There was a custom in the monastery, for the sake of which God brought Zosima there. During the first week of Great Lent, at the Liturgy, everyone took Communion of the Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord and ate some Lenten food; then everyone gathered in the church, and after a diligent, kneeling prayers the elders said goodbye to each other; and each with a bow asked the abbot for blessings on the upcoming feat to the travelers. After that, the monastery gates were opened, and with the singing of the psalm “The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life: whom shall I fear? (Ps. 26 :1 ), the monks went out into the desert and crossed the Jordan River. Only one or two elders remained in the monastery, not to protect property - there was nothing to steal there - but so as not to leave the church without worship. Everyone took with him a little food, as much as he could and wanted according to his bodily needs: one a little bread, another - figs, someone - dates or wheat soaked in water. Some took nothing with them except the rags on their bodies, and ate, when hunger forced them to do so, herbs growing in the desert.

Having crossed the Jordan, everyone dispersed far in different directions and did not know about each other, how someone fasts and struggles. If someone saw that another was coming towards him, he would go the other way and continue his life alone in constant prayer, eating very little food at a certain time. So the monks spent the whole great post and returned to the monastery a week before the Resurrection of Christ, when the church with the Vaiami solemnly celebrates the feast of Vai. Arriving at the monastery, none of the brothers asked each other how he spent his time in the desert and what he did, having only his conscience as a witness. Such was the monastic charter of the Jordan Monastery.

Zosimas, according to the custom of that monastery, also crossed the Jordan, taking with him, for the sake of bodily infirmity, some food and the clothes that he constantly wore. Wandering in the desert, he performed his feat of prayer and, if possible, abstained from food. He slept little; where the night finds him, he will fall asleep for a while, sitting on the ground, and early in the morning he wakes up and continues his feat. He wanted more and more to go deep into the desert and there find one of the ascetics who could instruct him.

After twenty days of travel, he once stopped and, turning to the east, began to sing the sixth hour, performing the usual prayers: during his feat, he paused, sang every hour and prayed. When he sang like that, he saw on the right side, as it were, the shadow of a human body. Frightened and thinking that this was a demonic delusion, he began to be baptized. When the fear is gone and prayer was finished, he turned to the south and saw a naked man, scorched to black by the sun, with hair white as wool, descending only to the neck. Zosima ran in that direction with great joy: last days he did not see not only a man, but also an animal. When this man saw from a distance that Zosima was approaching him, he hastily ran deep into the desert. But Zosima seemed to have forgotten both his old age and the weariness of the journey, and rushed to catch up with the fugitive. He hurried away, but Zosima ran faster, and when he overtook him so much that they could hear each other, he cried out with tears:

– Why are you, a servant of the True God, for whose sake you settled in the desert, running away from me, a sinful old man? Wait for me, unworthy and weak, hope for the sake of retribution for your feat! Stop, pray for me and for the sake of the Lord God, who does not shun anyone, give me a blessing.

Thus exclaimed Zosima with tears. Meanwhile, they reached a hollow, like the bed of a dried-up river. The fugitive rushed to the other side, and Zosima, tired and not having the strength to run further, intensified his tearful prayers and stopped. Then the one who had fled from Zosima finally stopped and said this:

- Abba Zosima! Forgive me for the sake of God that I cannot appear before you: as you can see, I am a naked woman, uncovered in my nakedness. But if you want to teach me, a sinner, your prayer and blessing, then throw me something from your clothes to cover yourself, and then I will turn to you for prayer.

Fear and horror seized Zosima when he heard his name from the lips of the one who had never seen him and heard nothing about him.

If she hadn't been sagacious, he thought, she wouldn't have called me by my first name.

He quickly fulfilled her desire, took off his shabby, torn clothes and, turning away, threw it to her. Taking her clothes, she girded herself and, as far as possible, covered her nakedness. Then she turned to Zosima with these words:

- Why did you, Abba Zosima, wish to see me, a sinful wife? Do you want to hear or learn something from me and therefore are not too lazy on the difficult path?

But Zosima threw himself on the ground and asked her blessings. She also bowed to the ground, and so both lay, asking each other for blessings; There was only one word, “Bless!” After a long time she said to the old man:

- Abba Zosima! You must bless and make a prayer, because you are invested with the rank of priest and for many years you stand before the holy altar, celebrating the Divine sacraments.

These words plunged the elder into even greater fear. Shedding tears, he said to her, with difficulty catching his breath from trembling:

– O spiritual mother! You drew near to God by killing bodily infirmities. God's gift is manifested on you more than on others: you have never seen me, but you call me by name and know my rank of priest. Therefore, it is better for you to bless me for the sake of God and give me your holy prayer.

Touched by the elder's perseverance, she blessed him with these words:

“Blessed be God, who desires the salvation of human souls!

Zosima answered "amen", and both got up from the ground. Then she asked the old man:

- Man of God! Why did you want to visit me naked, not adorned with any virtues? But the grace of the Holy Spirit has led you to inform me, when necessary, about earthly life. Tell me, father, how do Christians live now, the king and the holy churches?

“Through your holy prayers,” answered Zosima, “God gave the Church lasting peace. But bow down to the prayers of an unworthy old man and pray to the Lord for the whole world and for me, a sinner, so that my wandering in the wilderness would not be fruitless.

“Hurry, Abba Zosima,” she said, “as someone who has a holy order, it befits you to pray for me and for everyone; because you are destined for this. But out of a duty of obedience, I will do your will.

With these words she turned to the east; raising her eyes and raising her hands, she began to pray, but so quietly that Zosima did not hear or understand the words of the prayer. In awe, he stood silently, bowing his head.

“I call God to witness,” he said, “that after a while I raised my eyes and saw her raised to an elbow from the ground; so she stood in the air and prayed. Seeing this, Zosima trembled with fear, with tears he fell to the ground and only said:

- Lord have mercy!

But then he was confused by the thought, whether it was a spirit or a ghost, as if praying to God. But the saint, lifting the old man from the ground, said:

“Why, Zosima, are you embarrassed by the thought of a ghost, why do you think that I am a spirit praying?” I beg you, blessed father, make sure that I am a sinful wife, cleansed only by holy baptism; no, I am not a spirit, but earth, dust and ashes, I am flesh, not thinking of being a spirit.

With these words, she made the sign of the cross on her forehead, eyes, lips, chest, and continued:

May God deliver us from the evil one and from his snares, for his scolding is great against us.

Hearing these words, the elder fell at her feet and exclaimed with tears:

- In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the true God, born of the Virgin, for whose sake you, naked, so mortified your flesh, I conjure you, do not hide from me, but tell me everything about your life, and I will glorify the greatness of God. For God's sake, say everything not for boasting, but to give instruction to me, a sinner and unworthy. I believe in my God, for whom you live, that I went to this wilderness precisely so that God would glorify your deeds: we are not able to resist the ways of God. If it had not been pleasing to God that you and your deeds become known, He would not have revealed you to me and would not have strengthened me on such a long journey through the wilderness.

Zosima tried to convince her a lot in other words, but she raised him and said:

“Forgive me, holy father, I am ashamed to tell about my shameful life. But you saw my naked body, so I will expose my soul, and you will know how much shame and disgrace is in it. I will open myself to you, not boasting, as you said: what should I boast about, the chosen vessel of the devil! But if I start a story about my life, you will run away from me like from a snake; your hearing will not stand the story of my debauchery. However, I will tell without saying anything; I only ask you, when you know my life, do not forget to pray for me so that I may receive some mercy on the Day of Judgment.

The elder, with uncontrollable tears, asked her to tell about her life, and she began to talk about herself like this:

“I, the holy father, was born in Egypt, but being 12 years old, when my parents were still alive, I rejected their love and went to Alexandria. How I lost my virginal purity and began to irresistibly, insatiably indulge in fornication - I cannot even think about this without shame, not only talk at length; I will only say briefly so that you know about my uncontrollable lust. For seventeen years, and even more, I committed fornication with everyone, not for the sake of a gift or payment, since I did not want to take anything from anyone, but I reasoned that more would come to me for nothing and satisfy my lust. Do not think that I was rich and therefore did not take it - no, I lived in poverty, often hungry spun cereal, but was always obsessed with the desire to wallow even more in the mire of fornication: I saw life in constant dishonor. Once, during the harvest, I saw that many men - both Egyptians and Libyans - were going to the sea. I asked one of the people I met, where are these people rushing to? He replied that they were going to Jerusalem for the upcoming feast of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross. When I asked if they would take me with them, he said that if I had money and food, then no one would interfere. I said to him: “No, brother, I have neither money nor food, but still I will go and board the same ship with them, and they will feed me: I will give them my body for a fee.” - I wanted to go so that - forgive me, my father - there were many people around me who were ready for lust. I told you, father Zosima, not to force me to talk about my shame. God knows, I fear that with my words I am defiling the very air.”

Irrigating the earth with tears, Zosima exclaimed:

- Speak, my mother, speak! Continue your instructive story!

“The young man who met,” she continued, “hearing my shameless speech, laughed and walked away. And I, leaving the whorl that had happened to me, hurried to the sea. Looking around the travelers, I noticed among them ten or more people standing on the shore; they were young and seemed to suit my lust. Others have already entered the ship.

Shamelessly, as usual, I ran up to those standing and said: “Take me with you, I will please you.” They laughed at these and similar words, and, seeing my impudence, they took with them to the ship, and we set sail. How do you, man of God, say what happened next? What language, what rumor will bear the story of the shameful deeds I committed on the ship during the journey: I carried away on sin even against my will, and there were no shameful deeds, no matter how I taught. Believe me, father, I am horrified that the sea endured such depravity, how the earth did not open up and plunge me alive into hell after the corruption of so many people! But I think that God was waiting for my repentance, not wanting the death of a sinner, but patiently waiting for my conversion.

With such feelings I arrived in Jerusalem and all the days before the holiday I acted as before, and even worse. Not only was I not content with the young men who were with me on the ship, but I also gathered local residents and wanderers for fornication. Finally, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross arrived, and, as before, I went to seduce the young men. Seeing that early in the morning everyone, one after another, was going to the church, I also went, went into the porch with everyone, and when the hour of the Holy Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord arrived, I tried to enter the church with the people. No matter how hard I tried to push through, the people pushed me away. Finally, with great difficulty, I approached the doors of the church, accursed. But everyone entered the church unhindered, but some Divine power did not allow me. I tried to enter again, and was again removed, left alone in the porch. Thinking that this was due to my feminine weakness, I intervened in the new crowd, but my efforts were in vain; my sinful foot already touched the threshold; as if on purpose, numerous military guards, an unknown force, were holding me back - and here I was again in the porch. So three or four times I strained my strength, but had no success. From exhaustion, I could no longer interfere with the crowd of people entering, my whole body ached from tightness and pressure. Desperate, I stepped back in shame and stood in the corner of the porch. When I woke up, I thought, what guilt does not allow me to see the life-giving tree of the Cross of the Lord. The light of the saving mind, the truth of God, illuminating the eyes of the soul, touched my heart and indicated that the abomination of my deeds forbids me to enter the church. Then I began to weep bitterly, beat my chest with sobs, and sigh from the depths of my heart.

So I cried, standing in the porch. Raising my eyes, I saw an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos on the wall, and turning my bodily and spiritual eyes to her, I exclaimed:

- O Mistress, Virgin, who gave birth to God in the flesh! I know, I know deeply that there is no honor and praise for You when I, impure and filthy, look at Your face of the Ever-Virgin, pure in body and soul. It is right if Your virginal purity abhors me and hates me as a harlot. But I heard that the God born by You became incarnate for this purpose, to call sinners to repentance. Come to me, abandoned by all, to help! Command that I should not be forbidden to enter the church, let me see the Honest tree, on which the flesh was crucified born of You, who shed His holy blood for the deliverance of sinners and for mine. Command, Lady, that the doors of the church be opened for me, the unworthy one, to worship the Divine Cross! Be my faithful guarantor before Your Son that I will no longer defile my body with the impurity of fornication, but, looking at the cross tree, I will renounce the world and its temptations and go where You lead me, the guarantor of my salvation.

So I said. Encouraged by faith and convinced of the mercy of the Mother of God, I, as if by someone's prompting, moved from the place where I prayed and mingled with the crowd entering the church. Now no one pushed me away and did not interfere with reaching the doors of the church. Fear and horror attacked me, I trembled all over. Having reached the doors that were previously closed to me, I without difficulty entered the inside of the holy church and was able to see the Life-Giving Tree, comprehended the mysteries of God, realized that God would not reject the penitent. Falling to the ground, I bowed Holy Cross and kissed him with trembling. Then I left the church to the image of my guarantor - the Mother of God and, kneeling before Her holy icon, I prayed like this:

“O Blessed Virgin, Lady Mother of God, not disdaining my prayer, You showed me Your great philanthropy. I saw the glory of the Lord, the prodigal and unworthy sight of her! Glory to God, for Your sake accepting the repentance of sinners! That's all that I, a sinner, can think and say in words. Now, Mistress, it is time to fulfill what I promised, calling on You as a surety: instruct me, how Your will will be, and teach me how to complete salvation on the path of repentance.

After these words, I heard, as if from afar, a voice:

“If you cross the Jordan, you will find complete peace of mind.

Having listened to these words with faith that they were addressed to me, I exclaimed with tears, looking at the icon of the Mother of God:

- Lady, Lady Mother of God, do not leave me! With these words, I left the church vestibule and quickly went forward.

On the road, someone gave me three coins with the words:

“Take this, mother.

I accepted the coins, bought three loaves and asked the seller where the way to the Jordan was. Knowing which gate leads that way, I quickly walked, shedding tears. So I spent the whole day on the road, asking for directions from the people I met, and by the third hour of that day, when I was able to see the holy Cross of Christ, already at sunset, I reached the church of St. John the Baptist by the Jordan River. After praying in the church, I went down to the Jordan and washed my hands and face with the water of this holy river. Returning to the church, I partook of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ. Then I ate half of one loaf, drank water from the Jordan, and fell asleep on the ground. Early in the morning, having found a small boat, I crossed to the other side and again turned to my leader, the Mother of God, with a prayer, as she would please instruct me. So I retired to the wilderness, where I wander to this day, waiting for the salvation that God will give me from spiritual and bodily suffering.

Zosima asked:

- How many years, mistress, has it been since you settled in this desert?

“I think,” she answered, “47 years have passed since I left the holy city.

- What, - asked Zosima, - do you find food for yourself?

“Having crossed the Jordan,” said the saint, I had two and a half loaves; they gradually dried up, as if petrified, and I ate them little by little for several years.

– How could you safely live so long, and no temptation did not embarrass you?

- I'm afraid to answer your question, father Zosima: when I remember the troubles that I suffered from the thoughts that tormented me, I'm afraid that they will again take possession of me.

“Nothing, lady,” said Zosima, “do not omit it in your story, that's why I asked you to know all the details of your life.

Then she said:

“Believe me, father Zosima, that I lived in this desert for 17 years, fighting my crazy passions like fierce beasts. When I took to food, I dreamed of meat and wine, which I ate in Egypt; I wanted to drink my favorite wine. Being in the world, I drank a lot of wine, but here I had no water; I was thirsty and terribly tormented. Sometimes I had a very embarrassing desire to sing prodigal songs to which I was accustomed. Then I shed tears, beat my chest and remembered the vows I had given when I retired to the desert. Then I mentally stood in front of the icon of my guarantor, the Most Pure Theotokos, and with weeping I begged to drive away from me the thoughts that embarrassed my soul. For a long time I wept like this, thumping my chest hard, and finally, as if light poured around me, and I calmed down from excitement. How can I confess, father, to the prodigal desires that have taken possession of me? I'm sorry, father. The fire of passion ignited in me and scorched me, forcing me to lust. When such a temptation came over me, I threw myself on the ground and shed tears, imagining that my guarantor herself was standing in front of me, condemning my crime and threatening severe torment for it. Downcast to the ground, I did not get up day and night until that light illuminated me and drove away the thoughts that confused me. Then I raised my eyes to my guarantor, fervently asking for help for my sufferings in the desert - and indeed, She gave me help and guidance in repentance. So I spent 17 years in constant torment. And after, and until now, the Mother of God in everything is my helper and guide.

Then Zosima asked:

Did you need food and clothing?

The saint replied:

- Having finished bread, after seventeen years, I ate plants; the clothes that I wore when crossing the Jordan decayed from decay, and I suffered a lot, exhausted from the heat in the summer, shaking in the winter from the cold; so that many times I, as if lifeless, fell to the ground and lay for so long, undergoing numerous bodily and spiritual hardships. But from that time until today, the power of God has transformed my sinful soul and my humble body in everything, and I only remember the previous hardships, finding inexhaustible food for myself in the hope of salvation: I feed and cover myself with the almighty word of God, for “man will not live by bread alone!” (Matt. 4 :4 ). And those who put off the sinful garment have no shelter, hiding among the stone clefts (cf. Job. 24 :8 ; Heb. 11 :38 ).

Hearing that the saint remembers the wordsHoly Scripture from Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, Zosima asked if she had studied the psalms and other books.

“Don’t think,” she answered with a smile, “that since my crossing the Jordan I have seen any person besides you: I have not even seen a single beast or animal. And I have never learned from books, I have never heard reading or singing from anyone's lips, but the word of God everywhere and always enlightens the mind and penetrates even to me, unknown to the world. But I conjure you with the incarnation of the Word of God: pray for me, a harlot.

So she said. The elder threw himself at her feet with tears and exclaimed:

- Blessed be God, who does great and terrible, marvelous and glorious deeds, of which there is no number! Blessed be God, who has shown me how He rewards those who fear Him! Truly, You, O Lord, do not leave those who strive for You!

The saint did not allow the elder to bow to her and said:

- I conjure you, holy father, by Jesus Christ, God our Savior, do not tell anyone what you heard from me until God takes me from the earth, and now go in peace; in a year you will see me again, if the grace of God preserves us. But for the sake of God, do what I ask you to do: fast on next year do not cross the Jordan, as you usually do in a monastery.

Zosima was surprised that she was talking about the monastic rule, and he could not say anything, as soon as:

Glory to God, who rewards those who love Him!

“So you, holy father,” she continued, “remain in the monastery, as I tell you, because it will be impossible for you to leave if you want to; on holy and great Thursday, on the day of the Last Supper of Christ, take into the holy proper vessel of the life-giving Body and Blood, bring it to the worldly village on the other side of the Jordan and wait for me to partake of the Life-Giving Gifts: after all, since I took communion before crossing the Jordan in the Church of John the Baptist, to this day, I have not tasted the holy Gifts. Now I strive for this with all my heart, and do not leave my prayer, but by all means bring me the Life-giving and Divine Mysteries at the hour when the Lord made His disciples participants in His Divine Supper. John, hegumen of the monastery where you live, say: look after yourself and your brethren, you need to improve in many ways - but say this not now, but when God instructs you.

After these words, she again asked the elder to pray for her and withdrew deep into the desert. Zosima, bowing to the ground and kissing the place where her feet stood for the glory of God, went on his way back, praising and blessing Christ our God.

Having crossed the desert, he reached the monastery on the day when the brothers who lived there usually returned. He kept silent about what he saw, not daring to tell, but in his heart he prayed to God to give him another chance to see the dear face of the ascetic. With sorrow, he thought how long the year lasted and wanted this time to fly by like one day.

When the first week of Great Lent arrived, all the brethren, according to the custom and charter of the monastery, after praying and singing, went out into the desert. Only Zosima, who suffered from a serious illness, was forced to stay in the monastery. Then he remembered the words of the saint: “It will be impossible for you to leave if you want to!” Soon recovering from his illness, Zosima remained in the monastery. When the brethren returned and the day of the Last Supper approached, the elder did everything indicated to him: he put the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ our God in a small bowl, and then taking several dried figs and dates and some wheat soaked in water in a basket, he left the monastery late in the evening and sat down on the banks of the Jordan, awaiting the arrival of the reverend. The saint did not come for a long time, but Zosima, without closing his eyes, tirelessly peered towards the desert, expecting to see what he so strongly desired. “Perhaps,” the elder thought, “I am not worthy for her to come to me, or she has already come before and, not finding me, has returned back.” From such thoughts, he shed tears, sighed, and, raising his eyes to the sky, began to pray: “Do not deprive me, Vladyka, of seeing again that face that you made me see! Don’t let me leave here unsatisfied, under the burden of sins that convict me!”

Then another thought came to his mind: “If she comes to the Jordan, but there is no boat, how will she cross and come to me, unworthy? Alas, a sinner, alas! Who has deprived me of the happiness of seeing her?”

So the elder thought, but the nun had already come to the river. Seeing her, Zosima stood up with joy and thanked God. He was still tormented by the thought that she could not cross the Jordan, when he saw that the saint, illuminated by the brilliance of the moon, crossed the river with the sign of the cross, descended from the bank to the water and walked towards him on the water, as on solid ground. Seeing this, the surprised Zosima wanted to bow to her, but the saint, still walking on the water, opposed this and exclaimed: “What are you doing? After all, you are a priest and carry the Divine Mysteries!”

The elder obeyed her words, and the saint, going ashore, asked him for his blessing. Horrified by the wondrous vision, he exclaimed: “Truly God keeps His promise to make those who are saved according to their ability like Himself! Glory to Thee, Christ our God, Who has shown me through His servant how far I am from perfection!”

Then the saint asked to read the Symbol of Faith and the Lord's Prayer. At the end of the prayer, she partook of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ and, according to monastic custom, kissed the elder, after which she sighed and exclaimed with tears:

- Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace, as if my eyes have seen Your salvation ( OK. 2 :29 – 30 ).

Then, turn to Zosima, the saint said:

“I beg you, father, do not refuse to fulfill one more desire of mine: now go to your monastery, and next year come to the same stream where you used to talk to me; come for God's sake, and you will see me again: this is how God wills.

“If it were possible,” the holy elder answered her, “I would always like to follow you and see your bright face. But I beg you, fulfill my desire, the old man: taste some of the food that I brought.

Here he showed what he had brought in the basket. The saint touched the wheat with the ends of her fingers, took three grains and, bringing them to her lips, said:

– That is enough: the grace of spiritual food, which keeps the soul undefiled, will satisfy me. Again I ask you, holy father, pray for me to the Lord, remembering my wretchedness.

The elder bowed to the ground to her and asked for her prayers for the church, for the kings, and for himself. After this tearful request, he bade her farewell with sobs, not daring to restrain her any longer. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have the power to stop her. The saint again made the sign of the cross over Jordan and, as before, she crossed the river as if on dry land. And the elder returned to the monastery, agitated by both joy and fear; he reproached himself for not having learned the name of the reverend, but he hoped to learn it next year.

Another year has passed. Zosima again went into the desert, following the monastic custom, and went to the place where he had a wondrous vision. He went through the whole desert, by some signs he recognized the place he was looking for and began to carefully peer around, like an experienced hunter looking for rich prey. However, he did not see anyone approaching him. Shedding tears, he raised his eyes to heaven and began to pray: “Lord, show me Your treasure, not stolen by anyone, hidden by You in the wilderness, show me the holy righteous woman, this angel in the flesh, with whom the whole world is not worthy to be compared!”

Saying such a prayer, the elder reached the place where the stream flowed and, standing on the bank, he saw the reverend lying dead to the east; her hands were folded, as befits those lying in a coffin, her face turned to the east. He quickly approached her and, crouching at her feet, reverently kissed and watered them with his tears. For a long time he wept; then, having read the psalms and prayers put for burial, he began to think whether it was possible to bury the body of the reverend, whether she would like it. Then he saw at the head of the blessed one such an inscription, inscribed on the ground: “Buriate, Abba Zosima, in this place the body of the humble Mary, give the ashes to the ashes. Pray to God for me, who died in the month, in Egyptian Farmufios, in Roman April, on the first day, on the night of the saving Passion of Christ, after communion of the Divine Mysteries.

After reading the inscription, the elder first of all thought about who could have drawn it: the saint, as she herself said, could not write. But he was very glad that he learned the name of the reverend. In addition, he learned that the saint, having communed on the banks of the Jordan, in one hour reached the place of her death, where he went after twenty days hard way and immediately gave her soul to God.

“Now,” thought Zosima, “it is necessary to fulfill the order of the saint, but how can I, the accursed one, dig a hole without any tool in my hands?”

Then he saw a bough of a tree near him thrown in the desert, took it and began to dig. However, the dry land did not succumb to the efforts of the elder, he was drenched in sweat, but could not do anything. He sighed bitterly from the depths of his soul. Suddenly, raising his eyes, he saw a huge lion standing by the body of the reverend and licking her feet. The elder was horrified at the sight of the beast, especially since he remembered the words of the saint that she had never seen animals. He marked himself with the sign of the cross, confident that the power of the deceased saint would protect him. The lion began to quietly approach the old man, affectionately, as if with love, looking at him. Then Zosima said to the beast: “The great ascetic ordered me to bury her body, but I am old and cannot dig a grave; I don’t even have a tool for digging, and the monastery is far away, I can’t bring it from there soon. Dig a grave with your claws, and I will bury the body of the reverend.”

The lion seemed to understand these words and dug a hole large enough for burial with his front paws. The elder again wetted the saint's feet with tears, asking for her prayers for the whole world, and covered her body with earth. The saint was almost naked - the old, torn clothes that Zosima had thrown at her at the first meeting barely covered her body. Then both departed: the lion, quiet as a lamb, deep into the desert, and Zosima to his monastery, blessing and glorifying Christ our God.

Arriving at the monastery, he, without concealing anything that he had seen and heard, told all the monks about the Monk Mary. Everyone marveled at the greatness of God and decided with fear, faith and love to honor the memory of the reverend and celebrate the day of her repose.

Hegumen John, as the Monk Mary told Abba Zosima, found some faults in the monastery and eliminated them from God's help. A saint Zosima a hundred years, life ended his earthly existence and moved on to eternal life, to God. The monks of that monastery orally transmitted his story about the Monk Mary to one another for general instruction, but did not set out in writing about the exploits of the saint.

And I, - adds St. Sophronius, - having heard the story, wrote it down. I don’t know, maybe someone else, better informed, has already written the life of the reverend, but I, as far as I could, wrote everything down, setting forth one truth. May God, who works marvelous miracles and generously endows those who turn to Him with faith, reward those who seek guidance in this story, those who listen, read and take pains to write it down, and may He give them the fate of Blessed Mary, along with all those who have ever pleased God with their pious thoughts and labors.

Let us also give glory to God, the Eternal King, and may He give us His mercy on the Day of Judgment for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to Whom all glory, honor, power and worship is due with the Father and the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit now, and always, and in all ages. Amen.

Akathist to Saint Mary of Egypt

Kondak 1

Chosen by God from a fallen race with a difficult feat, acquiring great glory in heaven, we earthly people humbly cry out to you, holy Mary, pray for us the Lord God, may the laudable ty of those who sing praises rescue us from the pit of passions:

Ikos 1

Angels, amazed at the sudden change in you, Reverend Mother, how in one hour you left the wide path leading to destruction and entered the narrow path of salvation. Accept from us, the Pleasant of Christ, this joyful singing:

Rejoice Mother of God who prayed that she would deign to fall at the Cross; Rejoice, thou who didst ask the pure Virgin, and pray for forgiveness from Christ.

Rejoice, thou who promised the virgin of saints not to return to the pernicious path; Rejoice, bitter tears shedding on the sick reverend chest.

Rejoice, as the Intercessor soon heard you in prayer; rejoice, for at that very hour you could freely approach the Cross.

Rejoice, touchingly kissing the tree, on which Christ was crucified; Rejoice, trembling with your whole being, pouring out streams of tears.

Rejoice, thou who didst immediately decide not to turn back; Rejoice, you who have chosen Christ's yoke and His burden, take it for yourself.

Rejoice, with this decision you struck Satan at the head with a firm decision; rejoice, for there was great joy in heaven about one decision.

Kondak 2

Seeing the inexpressible love of the Mother of God for you, Reverend One, as if by your tearful prayer, create your unforbidden entrance to the Most Pure Tree of the Cross on the feast of its honorable exaltation at the same hour, and make it worthy to kiss it, but you sang to Him in joyful awe about the mercy of God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

With your mind and heart, you, Holy Mary, have accepted the unswerving decision not to return to the path of passions from now on, pray in tenderness of the heart Blessed Virgin The Mother of God, indicate the place of salvation, and suddenly you heard a mysterious voice indicating the desert of Jordan as such. Receive from us, Reverend, the praise of the sitz:

Rejoice, thanking the Intercessor of the World for the entrance unobstructed to the Cross; Rejoice, thou who hast henceforth chosen the Virgin to serve only Christ.

Rejoice, thou who didst pray for the pure Virgin to show the way; Rejoice, having chosen the desert as a place of feat from the icon.

Rejoice, at that hour you cast aside the vanity of this world; rejoice, you who immediately sailed on the ship along that side of the Jordan.

Rejoice, in the desert lands of the Mother of God you are kept; Rejoice, invisible world of sin, avoiding its vanity.

Rejoice, as if you reflected the slander of the devil with the Cross; Rejoice, chosen by the weight of labor, rejoicing with Christ.

Rejoice, fear and famine endured for His sake; Rejoice, despising the charms of the world for the sake of the One Christ.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 3

Strengthened by the power from above, you remained in the wilderness, Reverend Mother, preserved by the help of the Lord, singing out to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having truly the greatness to want to see the Monk Zosima, the chosen one, God’s height of life, who exalted him, when the days of the Holy Forty Days come, go to the desert beyond the Jordan and find you by the will of God, Reverend, you, for the sake of humility, not wanting to appear to people, first you fled from him, then you were begged You have honored the reverend with his conversation with you;

Rejoice, bringing repentance in the wilderness; Rejoice, day and night weeping in it.

Rejoice, having watered the whole earth with tears; Rejoice, you who have reached heavenly heights.

Rejoice, you who fled from the stench of life; Rejoice, flowing into the desert peace.

Rejoice, you who suffered under the burden of the cross; Rejoice, for the Lord is always with you.

Rejoice, for the exploits of Christ exalted; Rejoice, glorified still on earth.

Rejoice, distinguished by the Lord's clairvoyance; Rejoice, for thou hast named Zosima by name.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 4

The Monk Zosima was seized by a storm of sacred horror, as if you knew him by name, implored him to tell him your wonderful life. But you, humble servant, did not hide your former sinful life before him, may the Lord be glorified in you, generously rewarding the penitent: We thank the Creator, praying to Him, may He not reject our repentance, and in joyful hope we sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hear the Monk Zosima, how with courage you endured all the burdens of the desert life in the struggle with temptations and the devil, surprised and crying out to you with tenderness:

Rejoice, in the wilderness you only nourished your body with roots; Rejoice, you who placed all sorrow on the Lord, may it not leave your creation.

Rejoice, having surpassed many in your ascetic labors; Rejoice, for this you ascended into paradise and crowned with a bright crown.

Rejoice, you were taught writing by the Spirit of God in the wilderness; Rejoice, O All-Blessed Ones, you have been given the gifts of holy beauty.

Rejoice, Mary, who was honored to be the vessel of the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, as if on your difficult path, you strove to live for the Lord.

Rejoice, having put your hand on the plow, you will not return back; Rejoice, having loved Christ with all your being, having accepted His grace.

Rejoice, you bloomed with the most beautiful creen in the desert all your life; Rejoice, you were humble, fragrant for the Lord God.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 5

Who redeemed us with rich blood, O Lord, did not call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance, vouchsafe us to imitate the life of your saint Mary, and forever with a grateful heart glorify Thee with a heavenly song: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing thee Zosima, the Reverend, standing in the air and praying, she was seized with trepidation, wondering how, in the fall of the former, a man, the capital of grace was vouchsafed, tenderly thanking the Lord and sung to her:

Rejoice, having reached the gift of foresight with the holiness of life; Rejoice, having revealed the secrets of the monastery before Zosima with your lips.

Rejoice, you have become like an angel with the brilliance of your purity; Rejoice, as if you were blessed to stand in the air.

Rejoice, thou hast hid strict deeds before Zosima; Rejoice, you have hidden many manifestations from the sky.

Rejoice, for the sake of holy salvation you kept it only in your heart; Rejoice, Zosima, who commanded to be silent about herself until your death.

Rejoice, you who did not want to be glorified on earth from people; Rejoice, as for forty-seven years you remained unknown in a desert life.

Rejoice, for you want to depart from the path of the cross unknown to everyone;

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 6

Angels in heaven preach your wonderful life, blessed hermit, as if in a weak body you acquired great strength of mind and crushed the machinations of Satan. We, together with the Angels, glorify the Lord, who gave you strength with His grace, and sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Resplendent in you, God's Pleasure, a great thirst for tasting the Most Pure Christ's mysteries, asking Zosima to appear next summer, on the day of Holy Great Thursday with the holy Gifts on the banks of the Jordan River, may you be blessed with this most holy Gift. We, glorifying in you the zeal of the closest union with our Lord Jesus Christ, we laudably call:

Rejoice, yearning for holy communion for the sake of the holy Gifts; Rejoice, in your heart there was love stored for the Lord God.

Rejoice, thou hast undone all thyself, Reverend One, Save Christ; Rejoice, meekness that has acquired humility into Angelic purity.

Rejoice, you soon said goodbye to Zosima, woman of holy beauty; rejoice, immediately disappeared from his eyes, Mary, deep into the desert.

Rejoice, in the heart of Zosima you left tenderness delight; Rejoice, you directed the mind of this elder to a thoughtful stream.

Rejoice, like a precious pearl, he took away the thought of you; Rejoice, for the whole path to the monastery is drenched with tears of joy.

Rejoice, for for a long time your wonderful image stood in the eyes of his senile; Rejoice, only through the summer the old man consoled himself with a date.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 7

Wanting to observe the charter of the holy monastery, releasing the abbot of his monks to the feat of silence and prayer in the distant desert. The Monk Zosima is not able to go away for the sake of illness, about which you predicted to him, Holy Mary, with joyful trepidation awaiting Great Thursday, on the same day for the sake of conditions, promising to partake, bowing before the incomprehensible fate of God, chanting to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The soul of the venerable elder is seized with a new sacred awe, when the great day of the celebration of the Last Supper by our Lord is come, taking with you the most holy Gifts, going to the river bank, holy, partake of thee, blessed Mother, together with the holy elder we revere the Lord, coming to you in the mysteries of His purest. And to you, more worthy than the bride of the Sweetest Bridegroom, who walks with love to the marriage of the Lamb, we tenderly cry out:

Rejoice, for your request has been fulfilled by the holy Priest; rejoice, for with the holy Gifts you have come to the shore trembling.

Rejoice, as if on the night of the passion of Christ you want to be a partaker; rejoice, for you will be a participant in those sufferings in heaven to live with him.

Rejoice, as you confuse the monk with the absence of a long time; rejoice, for such embarrassment was your crossing of the river.

Rejoice, for in the radiance of the moon you appeared in the distance; Rejoice, walking with your feet to the opposite bank of the river.

Rejoice, with the sign of the salvation of the cross, Jordan signed her hand; Rejoice, as if on dry land, without any embarrassment, the river went.

Rejoice, for for the sake of this vision, the Hiereus was in fear; rejoice, for you have reassured him with your holy speech.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 8

We are all wanderers and strangers on earth, according to the apostle’s words, you also remained a wanderer in your wilderness until the day of your repose, Mary the Lamb of Christ, and from earthly Jerusalem moved to Jerusalem on high, glorify the Creator with the holy song of paradise: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All the sweetness, all your desire is the Lord Jesus, Whom you accept with trembling in the mysteries of the most pure from the hands of the blessed elder. We, looking at you, truly a worthy partaker of this most holy Gift, call you with love:

Rejoice, in the mysteries of the saints, betrothed to your Immortal Bridegroom; rejoice, for this you are adorned with a heavenly imperishable crown.

Rejoice, thou, by the acceptance of God's Gifts, surround thee with wondrous light; Rejoice, as Zosima cannot look at you without fear.

Rejoice, with quiet joy Simeon read a prayer; Rejoice, now you lifted up your touching gaze on your hand to the sky.

Rejoice, having tasted heavenly food, not wanting to accept earthly food; Rejoice, gifts of love from Zosima decided to take three grains.

Rejoice, for after your communion you did not stay long on the shore;

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 9

Every rank of angels and men bless the Lord, as He has done strength in weak people, strengthening you, the many-victorious saint, in your desert labors enduring coldness and unbearable heat in your naked body, and fear, and smoothness and many evil temptations from the devil. For such help from the Lord, you sang to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

It is impossible to depict a flourishing language, even if you are creating in the soul of the righteous Zosima after your departure, mysterious hermit, you, in your image, filled with the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, stared the spiritual gaze of the old man into the thoughts of the mountain, how God of the earthly man with His omnipotence raised to Angelic heights, accept, together with Zosima, our humble praise:

Rejoice, having kept your mind in it, not scattered by passions of temptation; Rejoice, for you were burdened by the meeting with earthly people.

Rejoice, soon you strove for a conversation with the Angels in the desert; Rejoice, there you prayed day and night, invisible to the world in silence.

Rejoice, for you have moved away from everyone, for the sake of salvation in the wilderness; Rejoice, only the stars of heaven are witnesses of tears.

Rejoice, in these miraculous moments, Christ Himself gazed with love; Rejoice, for thou hast amused the marvelous guarantor with thyself.

Rejoice, with the help of Her mighty help you have reached eternal rest; Rejoice, again asking Zosima to come to the desert through the summer.

Rejoice, again waiting for him with the hope of finding you;

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 10

To save those who want us, be a prayer book at the Throne of the Most High, Reverend Mother, and we, having escaped all kinds of temptations, will be honored together with you to glorify the Lord and sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Thou art a wall to all the ascetics, Most Holy Theotokos, from the cunning machinations of the devil, saved thou who chose you as a guarantor, before Your sweetest Son, did not shame her hopes, Most Pure, and brought to the desired gates of paradise. Vouchsafe us sinners to worthily praise your holy saint Mary with these hymns:

Rejoice, as if Zosima awaited you with joyful trembling; Rejoice, with all sweet thoughts he comforted himself.

Rejoice, for in the great days of fasting, he went into the wilderness with love; Rejoice, as if to the place of rendezvous, he walked for twenty days.

Rejoice, as in sorrowful embarrassment, the old man is looking for you; rejoice, as if filled with excitement, the elder did not remember himself.

Rejoice, as if on a fox illuminated by the light of heaven, he found you; Rejoice, thou separated from this world, departed for eternal rest.

Rejoice, with a bitter sob, the old man bowed over your body; rejoice, as Zosima did not believe in his eyes to his elderly.

Rejoice, for you have long overcome the wondrous heavenly chamber; rejoice, rejoice forever now, gone from sorrows and anxieties.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 11

Praised by the singing of angels and surrounded by their host, your righteous soul has ascended to the throne of the Most High in a voice of joy to sing the Lord with the God-red song: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

Your reverend face was illumined by the Holy Spirit of God, but the elder Zosima came in great confusion, as if he did not take away your name, blessed, if he saw the inscription at your head, the inscribed life on earth:

Rejoice, for you have taken Zosima away about the end of the day; Rejoice, for you were called the humble Mary in words.

Rejoice, for you reposed before God even last summer; Rejoice, on the day of your holy communion you were able to depart.

Rejoice, suddenly two lions approached fear from this burning desert; Rejoice, as if you had dug out the grave with mighty feet, they left.

Rejoice, for with a fervent prayer he betrayed your ashes to the earth; Rejoice, for a long time the old man stood over the grave in touching tears.

Rejoice, the elder prayed quietly with trembling lips; rejoice, in the fates of the incomprehensible with love he glorified.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary, who surprised the Angels with her feat.

Kondak 12

Ask God for grace for us, pure Christ's bride Mary, may he have mercy on us on the day of His terrible judgment and may he count us among his chosen flock, and may he vouchsafe to sing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing your repentance, the angels in heaven were surprised at it and all your sufferings are unparalleled, but you cannot depict them with a certain human language with love and joy crying out:

Rejoice, as for the flesh now naked is covered with a wonderful robe in paradise; Rejoice, burned by the heat in the desert, in heaven you taste the coolness of the stream.

Rejoice, you who endured constant hunger, now in heaven you are saturated with the bread of Christ; Rejoice, bearer of all sorrows, now in joy the voice is uttered by the mouth.

Rejoice, for you have been in a difficult struggle with the devil for seventeen years; rejoice, for you are glorified for victory, surround you with a wondrous light for that.

Rejoice, for the wise Virgin did not extinguish her lamp; Rejoice, as if from the Tree of the Cross - your feat was unswerving to salvation.

Rejoice, you who promised the Holy Virgin, With her help not to go astray; Rejoice, you who suffered a lot in the desert, did not let you go into the slope.

Rejoice, for with the sign of the cross you destroyed the machinations of your enemies; rejoice, for now you are eating from God's bounties and gifts.

Rejoice, Reverend Mother Mary. The angels surprised with their feat.

Kondak 13

Oh, Holy, all-praiseful and many-victorious saint of Christ, Mary, repentance is the most beautiful image! We pray to Thee, ask the Lord God for the power of His grace, and forgive us the darkness of our sins, with contrite tears for them, and may we be able to receive eternal consolations in the monastery of the repentant according to an unfalse promise, and sing with angelic faces Holy Trinity angelic song: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

Troparion, tone 8:

In you, mother, it is known that you have saved yourself according to the image: having accepted the cross, you followed Christ, and the deeds taught you to despise the flesh, it passes away: lie down about the soul, things are immortal, the same and with angels rejoice, Reverend Mary, your spirit.

Kontakion, tone 4:

Having escaped the sin of darkness, illuminating repentance with light your heart glorious, thou hast come to Christ: thou hast brought this all-blameless and holy mother of prayer. Otonus already and transgressions you found remission, and with angels you will be very happy.

Every year, during Great Lent, a special service is celebrated in all churches in memory of the great saint - Mary of Egypt, a woman who rose above the exploits of many great men. This special service with kneeling is always performed in the fifth week of fasting on Thursday morning, and in practice - usually on Wednesday evening. In everyday life, this service is called "Maria's standing." Why is this special service celebrated on the feast day of Saint Mary of Egypt?

life

Her life tells about a terrible sinner, a harlot who once repented her whole life - almost 50 years she gave to repentance - three years for one year of sin. The Holy Fathers call the struggle against the spirit of fornication a fierce struggle. For many years Maria struggled with the fierce beasts of thoughts in the desert.

Holy Mary of Egypt, with life
Second half of the 17th century
Wood, tempera.
136×105 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Inv. 29551

The life is usually read in two steps between the reading of the penitential canon. The story begins with an acquaintance with a monk, who told Orthodox world about the holy Egyptian woman. A certain Zosima, a monk from his youth, who lived in fasting and suddenly thought of himself: am I not an ascetic, have I surpassed all others in my deeds? The paternal care of the Lord for the ascetic, His attention, help and punishment saved Zosima from delusion.

Interesting fact

Punishment is a lesson to salvation.
Punishment in the sense - a command, instruction, a lesson. It happens that God sends punishment to a person, and a person confuses punishment with resentment or damage to himself. Because punishment is often accompanied by taking away the means of sin.

The love of God commanded Zosima to get out of her usual conditions, familiar and, to a certain extent, comfortable, and go to an unknown monastery lost in the desert, which had a strict charter and one pious custom. On Holy Fortecost, all the inhabitants left the monastery for the desert, and there, during the whole Lent, they searched for spiritual fruits one by one.

Venerable Mary of Egypt
Last quarter of the 18th century
Wood, oil.
20×15.5 cm
Private collection

The Lord delivered Zosima from destructive conceited thoughts about his exploits when he met in the desert a naked man, burned by the sun, who turned out to be a woman. She asked the monk to throw some clothes for her to cover herself, and then she told him about her life.

Useful materials

John Chrysostom says this about the sinful harlot:

"Crazy spectacle: a harlot wife in the city -<все равно что>the war within the walls ... it is the lure of young men, the touchstone of attraction, the awakening of passion, the hoarding of the body, the useless trade, the harmful enterprise that brings death to the saleswoman and the buyer, the snare of youth, the undisguised trap. The eyes of a harlot are a snare for sinners;<она>pledge of debauchery, self-seller, enslaving buyers, many-headed lioness, stench of the city, a plague that spreads to all senses, a fishing rod for the eyes, circular death, a loss market, the passion of death, the smell of death, a many-purulent wound ... This is the ulcer of the inhabitants, the rapist of marriage, the loss of honor, the struggle of husbands and wives, a meal requiring bad expenses, emptying purses, wasting property, ruining labor ov…”.

The wife, who met Zosima and told him about her fate, called herself in the worst words: “the chosen vessel of the devil”, “earth and ashes”. She did not tell him her name, but told him in detail, without concealing anything, about her former life, poisoned by sin. Repentance had already led the blessed soul to dispassion, and therefore the story was detailed.

Venerable Mary of Egypt, with life
End of the 19th century
Wood, tempera.
31 × 26.5 cm
Vladimir-Suzdal Historical, Artistic and Architectural Museum-Reserve, Vladimir, Russia
Inv. B-17382

At the age of twelve, having lost her innocence, she threw herself into the pool of fornication with her head and bathed there with pleasure. Nothing could stop her in this sin, not for money she gave herself to everyone who wanted to, but out of love for sin. And even those who did not want to, against his will, she seduced him, being an Egyptian beauty with black curls, sparkling eyes and a white-toothed smile. So seventeen years passed.

But one day ... "Blessed be God, who cares about the salvation of people and souls," she found herself in Jerusalem in front of the doors of the temple. It was on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. Here a miracle happened: the conscience drowned in sin revived. Everyone went to the temple for a feast, but a certain force did not allow the sinner to cross the threshold. No matter how many attempts were made, nothing worked.

“The word of salvation has touched the eyes of my heart, showing me that the uncleanness of my deeds blocks my entrance. I began to weep and mourn, striking my chest and groaning from the depths of my heart.

she told Zosima.

She began to beg the Most Pure Mother before Her for forgiveness and heard a voice from above: “If you cross the Jordan, you will find a glorious rest.”

Hearing God's call, and without a moment's hesitation, she set off on her journey. Someone gave her disheveled and tearful three loaves of bread. Arriving on the bank of the Jordan, there, in the church of John the Baptist, she took communion, ate some bread, washed down with river water, and, having spent the night on the bank, in the morning on someone's boat went to the desert beyond the Jordan.

Saint Mary of Egypt with a life in 16 hallmarks
Bogatyrev Ivan Vasilievich
School or thin. center: Nevyansk
1804
Wood, shkonki cut-in through and face. Levkas, tempera, gilding.
62×53×3 cm
State Museum of the History of Religion, St. Petersburg, Russia
Inv. B-7355-IV

In this desert, having once made a vow to the Queen of Heaven, who looked forward to her salvation, she spent 47 years, the first 17 of which were terribly tormented by the memories of sin. Evil temptations supplied her with brilliant pictures of food and drink, demonic songs and dances, all kinds of pleasures, tormented, and then thrown to the ground, froze with the cold of the night, roasted with the heat of the day.

“But I always turned the eyes of reason to my Guarantor, asking for help from the desert drowning in the waves. And she had her helper and recipient of repentance.

There, in the desert, the old sinner died, and a saint was born. The saving example of St. Mary of Egypt, who resolutely and bravely overcame her sin, rejected satanic temptations once and for all, firmly leaned on faith in the Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God, Their help and support, inspires many generations of believers to embark on the saving path of struggle with their passions.

Interesting fact

The Holy Fathers say that passion is already something more than sin, it is sinful dependence, slavery to a certain type of vice. The Monk John of the Ladder says that “passion is already called vice itself, which from a long time has nestled in the soul and through habit has become, as it were, its natural property, so that the soul already voluntarily and by itself strives for it” (Ladder. 15: 75).

The saint struck Zosima in the desert by quoting Holy Scripture, being illiterate. After all, as she said, having run away from her parents at the age of twelve, and then, living ugly in Alexandria, she was in need, because she really did not have any craft in her hands, nor education. Not that she couldn't read, she'd never heard of reading a book. "But the Word of God, living and active, itself teaches the knowledge of man."

Zosimas saw her rising in prayer a cubit from the ground, walking on the waters of the Jordan as if on dry land. After spending almost half a century in the wilderness, she gained dispassion, coming into the image of the reverend of God. She foresaw the future, predicting that she would meet Zosima in the monastery when she returned, and that the next year she herself would come to him on the banks of the Jordan to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

And so it happened. A year later, he communed the blessed woman for the second time in her life, and she, with the words: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace: as my eyes have seen Your salvation,” in tears of gratitude, she again retired to the desert, finally punishing that the elder next year should come to the place of their first meeting. There, a year later, Zosima found the body of the saint and an inscription on the ground:

“Bury, Abba Zosima, in this place the body of the humble Mary, give the ashes to the ashes, praying to the Lord for me, who reposed in the Egyptian month of Farmufi, in Roman called April, on the first day, on this very night of the Passion of the Lord, after the Communion of the Divine and Last Supper.”

Interesting fact

Holy Mary reposed on the same day and hour when she received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. She took communion at the Jordan, and immediately found herself far away in the wilderness, where she went for twenty days. The Lord carried her. She died there on the day of Communion.

“Blessed is God, who raises mortals still with the body to the habitation of the incorporeal” - St. Joseph the Hesychast.

Only after the death of St. Mary did Zosima tell the brethren about the miraculous meeting in the desert, and about how God had revealed to him the Secrets of His salvation, in various ways extracting the human soul from the depths of hell, and the Lord saved him, Zosima, from sinning with vanity about his exploits.

Mother of God "Assuage my sorrows." Venerable Mary of Egypt
Sokolov Petr Mikhailovich
School or thin. center: Moscow
1898
Wood, tempera.
22.1 × 11 cm (each icon); 25.1 × 25.1 (kiot)

Inv. KP 2365
The inscription on the lower husk on both icons: 1898 in Moscow. Written by Peter Mikh. Sokolov.

Saint Isaac the Syrian says: "There is no unforgivable sin, except the unrepentant sin."
The Monk Andrew of Crete was also a sinner - a monk, bishop, rhetorician, hymnographer, archpastor.
The saint once made an unworthy concession to the heretic emperor, who, under the pretext of maintaining peace in the empire, insisted on the resumption of the Monothelite false doctrine. Saint Andrew himself experienced deep repentance and put the poetic lines of penitential songs on paper. And we read them on the day of memory of St. Mary.

Prayers

Day of Remembrance Saint Mary of Egypt falls on March 25 and April 14 according to the new style. At this time celebrate name day those Marys whose birthdays are closest to these numbers.

Great penitential canon is read twice a year: on the first and fifth weeks of Lent. In the first week, this long service is laid out for four evenings, and in the fifth week they are read all at once on Thursday morning. Mariino's standing is not to be missed. At this service, which is special and difficult even for those who have been living in the church for many years, not only for newcomers, abundant spiritual medicine is served.

Intense labors - physical and mental tension, prostrations to the ground, the very atmosphere of a dark temple, many kneeling people, the duration of the service, hearing a wonderful story about the transformation of a person from a sinner into a saint - all this sharpens the senses, stirs the conscience, makes one somehow move from the dead point of deafness to one's sins. Makes the soul tremble in fear:

“My soul, get up, why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near!” And then to catch a saving ray of hope in the call: “... and imashi be embarrassed. Arise, then, that Christ God, who is everywhere and fulfills everything, will have mercy on you….

And then, with great fear of God, with trembling and gratitude, expect the Bright Resurrection. the day before.

Interesting fact

About the first moments of God's Creation, when Light had just appeared in the world, at the beginning of the book of Genesis it is said: "... and there was evening, and there was morning - one day" (Gen. 1, 5). So, according to tradition, the day in the Church begins in the evening.

This morning is going to be special. Replacing each other, all the priests go out to the center of the temple with lit candles, and take turns reading song after song, irmos after irmos, all the verses, interspersed with penitential refrains from the choir: “God have mercy on me, have mercy on me.”

The service lasts 5-7 hours. Many bring with them texts (prayer books with canons) to follow. But in order to understand many verses, you need to read a little, prepare yourself, pay attention to the references in the text of the canon to the Holy Scriptures and read the interpretation. Biblical parallels given by the author and historical examples are difficult to understand.

In any case, it is necessary to move, read, understand, ask the priests. You don’t have to stand in one place, especially young people, you need to understand the Holy Scriptures, study. Fasting is just a convenient time to put aside worldly worries a little and give time to prayer and repentance. For an example, so that we can learn a lesson - what is repentance (repentance and confession are different concepts), to instruct all of us in the true faith of God, the Church gives us in this service a stunning example of changing the vector and correcting the life of a person - Reverend Mary.

Interesting fact

The penitential canon of Andrew of Crete consists of 250 troparia, it is customary to bow to the ground on each of them. And if you add bows to the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, and to "Our Father ...". And if, with diligence, more than one per troparion. It is not easy. According to ancient charters, up to 1000 throws (bows) were performed for service.

Mary of Egypt in iconography

On icons Saint Mary is always depicted with her head uncovered, with white gray hair, as it was said in her life: “the hair on her head is white, like a fleece, and is not long, going down no lower than the neck.” There are growth icons and there are waist icons.

Venerable Mary of Egypt
From the deesis
School or thin. center: Moscow
Mid 17th century
Wood, tempera.
149×50 cm
Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art. Andrey Rublev, Moscow, Russia
Inv. KP 2341
Comes from the church of the Tver Old Believer community in Moscow

According to tradition, the saint is painted almost naked, slightly covered with a part of the mantle thrown to her by Zosima. On the icons we see emaciated flesh, a haggard face - she is a great fasting woman who has fully mastered the weapon of faith - "prayer and fasting." On some icons we see Mary alone, on others together with Zosima at the moment of communion.

There are even icons with a lion that dug up the saint's grave. A special type of icons - hagiographic - these are icons with stamps, which depict moments of the life of the saint, told by Zosima, miracles - walking on water, praying, etc. Mary is depicted on the icons in prayer, with her hands folded crosswise. It's a symbol of the cross, that's how we put them together when we come to communion. On the icon, it is also a symbol of repentance. Mary died to the passions and followed Christ, his call to deny herself and, most importantly, sin. “Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Me (Mark 8:34).

The main thing in the icon is the image of true repentance. There are icons of the saint, or frescoes - paintings on the walls, where she is depicted with other saints: John of the Ladder, with St. Andrew of Crete, with other saints.

In some temples, frescoes depicting Mary of Egypt, or her icons, were located in the immediate vicinity of the burials. This is connected with the funeral theme: her communion just before her death symbolizes repentance, a righteous death and "a favorable answer at the Last Judgment."

Temples in honor of the saint

Once on the territory of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery was the Church of Mary of Egypt. There were many Maries in princely families and royal families. Mary Egyptian patroness of all Marys. And past the place where the Sretensky Monastery stands, the road from Moscow always went - to the pilgrimage to the Trinity. Here the princesses and princesses, princesses, stopped to rest and pray. The church was destroyed in the 30s. Now in Sretensky Stauropegial monastery the ark with a particle of the relics of the reverend is kept.

There is a small wooden temple of Mary of Egypt in the Brateevo district, Moscow, st. Borisovskie Ponds.

There is a temple of St. Mary of Egypt in Optina. In the 1880s, the Monk Elder Ambrose rebuilt the temple from the former refectory building. Now the building has been restored, but work is still underway, part of the premises of the temple is occupied by the monastic icon-painting workshop. Two aisles consecrated righteous Anna Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Mary of Egypt.

The Church of Mary of Egypt is located on the territory of the State Lermontov Museum-Reserve "Tarkhany".

There are many other churches of St. Mary in different regions and dioceses in our country.

Interesting fact

In Russia, according to statistics, the largest number of churches of St. Mary (share in relation to the total number of churches) is in the Orenburg, Saratov regions and in the Chuvash Republic.

relics(head) of Saint Mary are V catholic cathedral Santa Maria del Fiori city in Florence.

The main thing that happened in the life of Mary of Egypt is repentance. She repented that she had offended God with her sins. Every Great Lent (at least during Lent) we have a reason to ask ourselves: do I always act according to the vows given in the Sacrament of Baptism - I deny sin and unite with Christ? Always? .. Not to mention fornication or adultery, about which He said: gouge out your eye if it offends you. The prophet Hosea said: "... this land is violently fornicating, having departed from the Lord" (Hosea 1:2)

What changed? Ignatius Bryanchaninov, a brilliant young officer, handsome and clever, gave his whole life to Christ, loved not his career and position, not his position in society, but God. He became a monk and teacher of the Church - a saint. He emphasizes:

"In the New Testament<грех любодеяния>received a new weight, because human bodies received a new dignity. They have become members of the Body of Christ, and the violator of purity already inflicts dishonor on Christ, breaks union with Him... The lunatic is executed by the death of his soul, the Holy Spirit departs from him, the sinner is recognized as having fallen into - a mortal sin ... - a guarantee of inevitable death ... if this sin is not healed in time by repentance.

At Mary's Station we hear about a sinner who repented. So is she a sinner?

Troparion, kontakion, magnification

Troparion, tone 8:

In you, mother, you are known to be saved, even in the image, / having accepted the cross, you followed Christ / and, working taught you to despise the flesh, it passes away, / lay down about the soul of things immortal. / The same and with the Angels rejoices venerable Mary, your spirit.

Kondak, voice 4:

Having escaped the sin of darkness, / having illumined your heart with light of repentance, glorious, / you came to Christ, / This All-blameless and holy Mother / Thou hast brought a merciful prayer book. nie, / and from the Angels you will always rejoice.

Ying kondak, voice 3:

First full of all kinds of fornications, / the bride of Christ appeared today in repentance, / imitating angelic life, / destroys the demon of the cross with weapons. // For the sake of the Kingdom, the bride appeared thou art, glorious Mary.

Canon

Canon of Saint Mary of Egypt voice 4
Canto 1

Irmos: The sea of ​​the dark abyss with wet feet, the ancient Israel, having walked on foot, conquered the power of Amalek in the desert with the cruciform hand of Moses.

Cleanse the filth of sins of my humble soul, by Your mercy, Christ, the darkness and the darkness of the passions of the prayers of Your reverend.

Having defiled spiritual nobility with carnal passions, abstinence packs, oh, honest, you enlightened your mind, clarifying your soul with clouds of tears.

Thou hast escaped Egypt of passions, as if from a sinful source, and, having freed the pharaoh of fierce defilement, now thou hast inherited the earth without passion, and rejoices ever since the Angels.

Theotokion: Seeing Your icon, the Lady, the Mother of God of the Pure, and the Word born from Your most pure, Virgin, womb, and the most glorious asks Thee for this warmth.

Canto 3

Irmos: Your Church rejoices in you, Christ, calling: You are my fortress, Lord, and refuge, and affirmation.

Your soul has died and your wounds have fallen, but this one has washed you warmly with the source of your tears.

Defeat the demons by you, and the passionate jumping with tears hurt you.

Like a morning cloud and like a drop, dripping, you were everything, shedding the waters of repentance of salvation.

Theotokion: You are the Representative, Pure, and salvation, and the fortress of the possessions, the Cross of the holy tree, honest, bow down.

Kondak, voice 3

First full of fornications of all kinds, the bride of Christ today appeared in repentance, imitating angelic life, destroying the demon of the cross with weapons. For this sake of the Kingdom, the bride appeared to you, glorious Mary.

Sedalen, voice 8

Bending all the carnal bridling with fasting diseases, courageous showed your soul your wisdom, desiring to see the image of the Cross, crucified you, ever-memorable, to the world, from there, and to the jealousy of a blameless life, you zealously erected yourself, all-blessed, glorious Mary. Pray to Christ, the God of sins, leaving tribute to those who honor your holy memory with love.

Canto 4

Irmos: You are exalted when you see the Church on the Cross, the Righteous Sun, a hundred in its rank, worthy of crying out: glory to your power, Lord.

Thou hast departed, having fled, those who are in the world and sweet of all, but thou hast united with the One alone with extreme abstinence and patience of thy deeds.

The bodily movements and kindlings of abstinence truly withered you, from there you adorned the soul, O all-glorious Mary, with Divine visions and children.

With your virtuous strength, tears and extreme fasting, prayer and brew, winter and nakedness, you were a friend of the Holy Spirit honestly.

Theotokion: You have run to Your icon, and from You Born, Mary the Virgin, by You now find immortal life, rejoicing in paradise.

Canto 5

Irmos: You, Lord, have come into the world my light, Holy Light, turn from gloomy ignorance by faith singing Thee.

In the footsteps of Christ you followed, rejoicing, bearers of the cross yours on the frame, Mary, and the demons destroyed you.

Thou hast shown us the healing of repentance;

You be me, honest, invincible intercessor and deliver my passions, all kinds of illnesses with your prayers to the Lord.

Theotokion: At Yours, the Lady of the Pure, we look at the icon, We always pray to You, the passions of attack, the reverend is put to shame.

Canto 6

Irmos: I will devour Thee with a voice of praise, Lord, the Church cries out to Thee, cleansed from the blood of demons for the sake of mercy from Your ribs with shed Blood.

Then you washed away the sinful filth, while looking at your incorruptible glory with your thought, now you have found prosperity with your illness, glorious.

To all sinners, Mary, your image of life seemed to those who have sinned immeasurably, stand up in life and cleanse the filth with tears.

Have mercy on my humble soul, Lover of mankind, less defiled, the deed of the unclean desires of my flesh, but have mercy on me with reverend prayers.

Theotokion: With all your soul and heart you loved from the Virgin the born God of the Word, Living and incarnate, voice to you, reverend, bringing.

Kondak, voice 4

Having escaped the sin of darkness, having illumined your heart with light of repentance, glorious, thou hast come to Christ; Otonuzhe already and transgressions you found remission and from the Angels you rejoice forever.

Ikos

The serpent, anciently in Eden, which was filled with the charm of the tree in Eden, threw you into the ditch of the Tree of the Cross, glorious Mary, and, having run away from sweetness, you desired purity, from this, and with the virgins, you were vouchsafed to enter your Lord’s chamber into the chamber, with these enjoy worthy. For this diligently pray, as if many sins will be given permission and His life will make us rejoice with the Angels.

Canto 7

Irmos: In the cave of Abrahamst, the youths of the Persians, with the love of piety more than scorched by a flame, cry out: blessed be thou in the temple of Thy glory, Lord.

Mournfully and narrowly marching the path of reality, having clarified the soul with the kindness of virtues, Thou hast reached heavenly life, where the infinite Light is Christ.

Even in the world, correct all temporary, now rejoice with all the armies of the Angels, singing: blessed be thou in the temple of Thy glory, Lord.

The insidiousness of the enemy and weapons have become impoverished with strong fasting and your prayer, reverend, and with tears, and now the passions of insistence will also be driven away, honest Mary.

Theotokion: Unskillfully, even God is bodiless, having truly generated, and the Virgin, being truly, by Your power, the Most Honorable, drove away the passions and demons of the army.

Canto 8

Irmos: He spread out his hand, Daniel, the lions of yawning in the ditch: quenching the fiery power, girded with virtue, piety, zealous children, crying out: bless, all the works of the Lord, the Lord.

Having illumined the mind with all the radiance of virtues, glorious Mary, having talked to God, the flesh having become true with many fasting and pious thought, thou sang, rejoicing: bless, all the works of the Lord, the Lord.

Having shielded the Cross with a sign for yourself, having swum with your feet of Jordan with your wet waters, Mary, faithfully also the Heavenly Christ, His Body and Blood, partaking, - now let go of Your servant, - you said.

The Divine Priest Zosima, the secret place of grace, as if I saw thee Jordan, glorious, I passed with wet feet, being possessed by fear and trembling, rejoicing, belt: bless, all the works of the Lord, the Lord.

Theotokion: By you, most filthy, shake off aphids and all filth, and put on, Mistress, in an immortal robe, and by you, your reverend crying out to your Son: bless, all the works of the Lord, the Lord.

Canto 9

Irmos: A stone not hand-carved from an unseen mountain, You, Virgo, cut off the cornerstone, Christ, copulating the dispersed nature, we magnify Thee, the Mother of God, rejoicing.

Now we are truly saturated with incorruptible and Divine food and enjoying the Light of thought and the Nightless in Heavenly villages, where the Angels pray to God for us.

Glory to the flowing and corruptible, having abhorred, Mary, glory and life inherited thou blessed. Pray to Christ for those who make your all-holy memory always.

See my sorrow, reverend, and the groaning of my heart, see the narrowness of my life, save me from my sin and generous my soul with your petitions to the Lord.

Theotokion: O Lady Pure Theotokos, salvation of sinners, accept this prayer, deliver me from my sins, resorting to Your Son, through the prayers of Your reverend.

Svetilen

The image of repentance has been given to us, Mary, with your warm tenderness, return the victory, Having acquired the Mother of God Mary as an Intercessor, pray for us with Neyuzha.

Prayer

Prayer one

O great saint of Christ, Venerable Mary! You are coming to the Heavenly Throne of God, but on earth you are with us in spirit of love, having boldness to the Lord, pray to save His servants, who flow to you with love. Ask us from the Greatly Merciful Master and Lord of the Faith undefiled observance, affirmation of our cities and towns, deliverance from prosperity and destruction, consolation to the grieving, healing to the sick, resurrection to the fallen, strengthening to the erring, in good deeds, prosperity and blessing, intercession for orphans and widows, and eternal rest for those who have departed from this life, for all of us, on the day of the Last Judgment, at the right hand of the country, be community partners and hear the blessed voice of My Judge: come, bless from my king, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, and you will receive abiding there forever. Amen.

Prayer two

O great saint of Christ, reverend mother Mary! Hear the unworthy prayer of us sinners (names), deliver us, reverend mother, from the passions that are fighting on our souls, from all sorrow and finding adversity, from sudden death and from all evil, at the hour of separation of the soul from the body of marriage, holy woman, every evil thought and evil demons, as if our souls would receive in peace in a place of light Christ the Lord our God, as from Him is the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, to Him all glory, honor and worship is due with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

^sss^Reverend Mary of Egypt^sss^

The Holy Church thrice a year remembers the great saint - the venerable Mary of Egypt:

2. At the divine service on Thursday of the 5th week of Great Lent, which is called "the standing of Mary of Egypt." On Wednesday evening, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in all churches, as well as the canon of St. Mary and her life (this is perhaps the only life that is now read in the Church during divine services). The Church on this day offers believers the most powerful images of repentance.

3. On the fifth Sunday (week) of Great Lent. Recall that the 1st week is dedicated to the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the 2nd - to St. Gregory Palamas, the 3rd - the Cross, the 4th - Saint John, the author of the famous "Ladder", 5th - St. Mary of Egypt, 6th - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This is the line in which the memory of St. Mary stands!

Who was she? A great sinner, a harlot, insatiable in sin, she lived in Alexandria, famous for its luxury and vices. The grace of God and the intercession of the Mother of God turned her to repentance, and her repentance surpassed in its strength both her sins and the idea of ​​what was possible for human nature. The Reverend spent 47 years in the wilderness, of which for 17 years (exactly as long as she sinned) she waged a fierce struggle with the passions that overwhelmed her, until she was cleansed by the Grace of God, until she washed and brightened her soul to the state of an angel. The holy elder Zosima, who by the will of God revealed the ascetic to people, lived in a very strict monastery, was one of the most severe ascetics in this monastery, but he was struck by the degree of holiness that the Monk Mary possessed during her lifetime. During prayer, she rose above the ground; walked on water as on dry land; she repeated the lines of Holy Scripture and reasoned like an enlightened theologian, although she had never been able to read or heard the word of God; she was almost incorporeal and ate only what the desert gave. Truly, what Zosima saw exceeded not only human, but also monastic concepts. And at the same time, she did not stop crying about her sins and considering herself a sinner in the eyes of God.

The life of St. Mary of Egypt was and is one of the most beloved readings of the Russian people (as well as the life of St. Alexis, the man of God). Her life, similar to a fairy tale, but not raising doubts about its reality, invariably touches the reader; reminds him of the immeasurable mercy of God, and on the other hand, of the need for his own great efforts to brighten, change his soul so that there is nothing contrary to God in it, so that God would be pleased to dwell in it.

There is no sin that the Mercy of God cannot forgive, if sincere, sincere, sincere repentance obtained with tears is brought in this sin. And vice versa, a sin that is insignificant by human standards, but not unrepentant, can block the soul from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The remembrance of the life of Mary of Egypt encourages sinners and warns those who are careless about the salvation of their souls - this is the lesson that the Holy Church gives us in the life of the Reverend Holy Church.

It is fitting to keep the secret of the tsar (Tov. 12:7), but it is commendable to announce the deeds of God. So the angel said to Tobit after the miraculous insight of his eyes and after the hardships he endured, from which Tobit, in his piety, was later delivered. For divulging the royal secret is dangerous and destructive, while keeping silent about the miraculous deeds of God harms the soul. Therefore, fearing to remain silent about the Divine and fearing the fate of a servant who, having received a talent from his master, buried it in the ground (See: Mt. 25:14-30) and hid what was given to him for use without spending, I will not hide the sacred tradition that has come down to me. May everyone believe in my word, conveying what I happened to hear, may he not think, amazed at the greatness of what happened, as if I were embellishing something. Let me not deviate from the truth and let it not be distorted in my word, where God is mentioned. It does not befit, I think, to belittle the greatness of the incarnate God the Word, tempted by the truth of the traditions transmitted about Him. To the people who will read this record of mine and, amazed at the wondrous things that are imprinted in it, will not want to believe it, may the Lord be merciful, for, starting from the imperfection of human nature, they consider everything that is beyond human understanding incredible.

Next, I will move on to my story about what happened in our times, and what the holy man told about, accustomed from childhood to speak and do what is pleasing to God. Let not the wrong one be tempted by the delusion that such great miracles do not happen in our day. For the grace of the Lord, descending from generation to generation on holy souls, prepares, according to the word of Solomon (Wisdom 7, 27), the friends of the Lord and the prophets. However, it is time to begin this pious narrative.

In one Palestinian monastery in the vicinity of Caesarea, a certain monk named Zosima labored, adorned with both deed and word, who almost from the cradle was nurtured in the monastic custom and labors.

Passing through the field of asceticism, he strengthened himself in all kinds of humility, observed every rule set in this school of achievement by its mentors, and he voluntarily appointed many things for himself, striving to subordinate the flesh to the spirit. And the elder achieved his chosen goal, for he became so famous as a spiritual man that from the nearest, and often from distant monasteries, many brothers constantly came to him in order to be strengthened by his instruction for the feat. And although he was devoted to active virtue, he always meditated on the word of God, both lying down in his bed, and getting up from sleep, and busy with needlework, and when he happened to eat food. If you want to know what kind of brush he was saturated with, then I will tell you that with constant psalmody and meditation on Holy Scripture. They say that the elder was often honored with divine visions, for he received illumination from above. For "he who does not defile the flesh and is always sober, sees divine visions with the watchful eye of the soul and receives eternal blessings as a reward."

However, in the 53rd year of his life, Zosima began to be embarrassed by the thought that, due to his perfection, he no longer needed mentorship. He reasoned: “Is there a monk on earth who could teach me something or would be able to instruct me in a feat that I do not know and in which I have not practiced? Is there anyone among the hermits who is greater than me in active life or contemplation?” One day, a certain man appears to the elder and says to him: “Zosima, you gloriously, as far as humanly possible, asceticised and gloriously completed the monastic career. However, no one achieves perfection, and the feat that awaits him is more difficult than the one already accomplished, although the person does not know this. So that you understand how many other ways there are to salvation, leave this monastery, like Abraham from his father’s house (Gen. 12, 1), and go to the monastery near the river Jordan".

Immediately, the elder, in accordance with this command, leaves the monastery in which he lived from infancy, approaches the holy river, and, guided by the same husband who had previously appeared to him, finds the monastery that God prepared for him to live in.

Knocking on the door, he sees the gatekeeper, who announces his arrival to the abbot. He, having received the elder and seeing that he, with humility, according to the monastic custom, makes a bow and asks to pray for him, asks: “From where and why did you come, brother, to these humble elders?” Zosima answers: “Where I came from, there is no need to say, but I, father, came for the sake of spiritual edification, for I heard about your glorious and praiseworthy life, which can spiritually bring you closer to Christ our God.” The abbot said to him: “The only God, my brother, heals human weakness, and He will reveal His Divine will to you and us and instruct us how to act. A person cannot instruct a person if he himself is not constantly zealous for spiritual benefit and judiciously strives to do what is due, hoping for God’s help in this. However, if love for God moved you, as you say, to come to us, humble elders, stay here, since you have come for this, and the Good Shepherd, who gave his soul for our redemption and calls his sheep by name, will nourish us all with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

When he finished, Zosima again bowed before him and, asking the abbot to pray for him and saying "amen", remained in that monastery. He saw how the elders, glorious for their active life and contemplation, serve God: the psalmody in the monastery never stopped and lasted all night, the monks always had some kind of work in their hands, and on the lips of the psalms, no one uttered an idle word, they did not worry about the transient, the annual income and care for worldly sorrows were not even known in the monastery by name. The only aspiration of all was that everyone should be dead bodily, for he died and ceased to exist for the world and everything worldly. God-inspired words were the constant brash there, while the monks supported the body only with the most necessary - bread and water, for everyone burned with love for God. Zosima, seeing their life, was zealous for an even greater feat, accepting ever more difficult labors, and found companions who diligently worked in the Lord's garden.

Many days have passed, and the time has come when Christians observe Great Lent, preparing to honor the Passion of the Lord and His Resurrection. The monastery gates no longer opened and were constantly locked, so that the monks could accomplish their feat without interference. It was forbidden to open the gate, except for those rare cases when an outside monk came for some business. After all, the place was deserted, inaccessible and almost unknown to the neighboring monks. In the monastery, from time immemorial, a rule was observed, because of which, I believe, God brought Zosima here. What this rule is and how it was observed, I will now tell. On Sunday, before the beginning of the first week of Lent, according to custom, the sacrament was given, and everyone partake of those pure and life-giving Mysteries and, as is customary, ate a little from food; then everyone again gathered in the temple, and after a long prayer done on bended knee, the elders gave each other a kiss, each of them approached the abbot with a bow, asking his blessing for the upcoming feat. At the end of these rites, the monks opened the gates and sang a psalm in unison: The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: from whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 26, 1) - and everyone left the monastery, leaving someone there not to guard their property (for they had nothing that could attract thieves), but in order not to leave the church unattended.

Each stocked up with what he could and what he wanted from food: one took as much bread as he needed, another - dried figs, a third - dates, a fourth - soaked beans; some took nothing with them except the rags that covered their bodies, and when they were hungry, they ate the herbs growing in the desert. It was their rule and immutably observable law that one monk did not know how the other was ascetic and what he was doing. As soon as they crossed the Jordan, they all moved far from each other, dispersed throughout the wilderness, and one did not approach the other. If someone from afar noticed that some brother was walking in his direction, he immediately deviated from the road, and walked in another direction, and was alone with God, constantly singing psalms and eating what was at hand.

So the monks spent all the days of fasting and returned to the monastery on Sunday, preceding the life-giving rising of the Savior from the dead, in order to celebrate the prefeast according to the order of the Church with vayami.

Each came to the monastery with the fruits of his labors, knowing what his feat was and what seeds he had nurtured, and one did not ask the other how he went through the work assigned to him. Such was the monastic rule, and so it was done for good. Indeed, in the desert, having only God as a judge, a person competes with himself not for the sake of pleasing people and not in order to put his stamina on display. What is done for the sake of people and to please them is not only without benefit to the ascetic, but also serves as a cause of great evil for him.

And so Zosima, according to the rule laid down in this monastery, crossed the Jordan with a small supply of food necessary for bodily needs and in one sackcloth. Following this rule, he walked in the wilderness and ate when hunger prompted him to do so. At certain hours of the day, he stopped for a short rest, created chants and, kneeling down, prayed. At night, where darkness overtook him, he ate a short sleep right on the ground, and at dawn he again continued on his way and always walked in the same direction. He wanted, as he said, to reach the inner desert, where he hoped to meet one of the fathers living there who could enlighten him spiritually. Zosima walked quickly, as if hurrying to some glorious and famous refuge.

He walked like this for 20 days, and one day, when he sang the psalms of the sixth hour and did the usual prayers, turning to the east, suddenly to the right of the place where he was standing, Zosima saw, as it were, a human shadow. He trembled with horror, thinking that this was a devilish obsession. Protecting himself with the sign of the cross and shaking off his fear, Zosima turned around and saw that someone was truly walking in the direction of noon. The man was naked, dark-skinned, like those who were scorched by the heat of the sun, but his hair was white, like a fleece, and short, so that it barely reached the neck. Zosima rejoiced with unspeakable joy, for in all those days he did not see a human form, nor traces or signs of an animal or a bird. He rushed to run in the direction where the husband who appeared to him hurried in a thirst to find out what kind of person he was and from where, hoping to become a witness and eyewitness of glorious deeds.

When this traveler realized that Zosima was following him from a distance, he rushed to run into the depths of the desert. Zosima, as if forgetting about his old age and despising the hardships of the path, decided to overtake him. He pursued, and that husband tried to leave. But Zosima ran faster and soon approached the fleeing man so much that he could hear his voice. Then the old man cried out with tears:

Why are you running from me, a sinful old man? Servant of God, wait, whoever you are, for the sake of God, for whose love you settled in this wilderness. Wait for me, weak and unworthy. Stop, honor the elder with your prayer and blessing for the sake of God, who does not reject a single person.

At this moment, they reached a depression, as if pitted by a river stream. The fugitive descended into it and went out to its other edge, and Zosima, tired and unable to run further, standing on it, began to cry and lament.

Then the husband said:

Abba Zosima, forgive me for God's sake, but I can't turn around and show myself before your eyes, for I am a woman and completely naked, as you see, and the shame of my body is not covered by anything. But if you wish to fulfill the request of a sinner, give me your sackcloth so that I can hide what betrays a woman in me, and I will turn to you and accept your blessing.

Horror and delight, as he reported, seized Zosima when he heard that the woman called him by name. For, as a man of a sharp mind, wise in divine things, the elder understood that she could not name a person whom she had never seen before and whom she had never heard of, without having acquired the gift of clairvoyance.

Immediately Zosima did what the woman asked him to do, and tore his shabby himation and, turning his back on her, threw half of it to her.

The woman, covering herself, turns to Zosima and says to him:

Zosima, hearing that she was still retaining in her memory the words of Scripture, from the book of Moses, Job and the Psalter, said to her:

Have you, my lady, read only the Psalter or other sacred books?

To this she smiled and said to the old man:

Truly, I have not seen a person since I crossed the Jordan, except today you, I have not met a single beast or any other creature since I came into this desert. I never learned to read and write, and I never even heard how the psalms are sung or anything is read from there. But the word of God, endowed with life and power, itself gives man knowledge. This is where my story ends. But, as at the beginning of it, and now I conjure you with the incarnation of the Divine Word to pray for me, a sinner, before the Lord.

So saying and finishing her story, she fell at the feet of Zosima. And again the old man cried out with tears:

Blessed be God, who does great, marvelous, glorious and wondrous works, which have no number. Blessed is God who has shown me how He rewards those who fear Him. Truly, Lord, You do not leave those who seek You.

The woman, holding the old man, did not allow him to fall at her feet and said:

Everything that you heard, man, I conjure you by our Savior Christ, do not tell anyone until God allows me from now on. Now go in peace. Next year you will see me, and I will see you, protected by the grace of the Lord. Do, for God's sake, what I ask you to do - do not go into the next Great Lent, as is customary in your monastery, Jordan.

Zosima was surprised that she knew the monastic rule, and said only:

Glory to God, who bestows great blessings on those who love Him.

She says:

Stay, abba, as I told you, in the monastery; for even if you wanted to, it would be impossible for you to go out. On the day of the Holy Last Supper, take for me a vessel from the Life-giving Body of Christ and Blood into a sacred and worthy of such sacraments, and stand on the other side of the Jordan, which is closer to the settlements, so that I can come and partake of the Holy Gifts. For since I communed in the temple of the Forerunner, before crossing the Jordan, I have not communed to this day, and now I thirst for it with all my soul. Therefore, I pray, do not neglect my request and bring me those life-giving and holy Mysteries at the very hour when the Lord called the disciples to His holy supper. To Abba John, hegumen of your monastery, say this: "Look at yourself and your sheep, for they do bad deeds that must be corrected." But I don't want you to tell him now, but when God commands you to do so.

Having finished and saying to the elder: "Pray for me," she hid in the inner desert.

Zosima knelt down and fell to the ground, where her footprints were imprinted, glorified and gave thanks to the Lord, and in jubilation went back, glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ. Having crossed that desert again, he returned to the monastery on the day when it was customary for the monks there to return.

The whole year Zosima was silent, not daring to tell anyone what he saw, but in his heart he prayed to God to show him the desired face again. He suffered and lamented that he would have to wait a whole year. When the Sunday before Great Lent came, immediately after the usual prayer, everyone left the monastery with hymns, and Zosima was overcome by a fever, which forced him to stay in his cell. He remembered the words of the saint, who said: "If you wanted to, it would be impossible for you to leave the monastery."

A few days later he rose from his illness, but remained in the monastery. When the other monks returned and the day of the Last Supper arrived, he did what the woman asked him to do. Taking the Most Pure Body and Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ into a vessel and putting figs, dates and some soaked beans in a basket, he leaves the monastery late in the evening and, in anticipation of the arrival, the saint sits on the banks of the Jordan.

Although the saint was slow in her appearance, Zosima did not close his eyes and incessantly looked towards the desert, waiting for the one whom he wanted to see. Sitting like that, the elder said to himself: “Perhaps she is not going because of some sin of mine? Maybe she did not find me and returned back?” Saying this, he wept and groaned in tears, and, raising his eyes to heaven, so prayed to God: “Do not deprive me, Lord, of the bliss to see again what I once allowed to see. May I not leave only with the burden of sins convicting me.” After this tearful prayer, another thought came to him, and he began to say to himself: “What will happen if she comes? After all, there is no boat anywhere. How will she cross the Jordan and come to me, unworthy?

While the elder was thinking such thoughts, the saint appeared and stood on the other side of the river from where she had come. Zosima rose in joy and jubilation from his seat, praising God. And again he began to doubt that she would not be able to cross the Jordan. And then he sees (the night turned out to be moonlit) how the saint made the sign of the cross over Jordan and entered the water, and walked on the water without water, and went towards him.

Even from a distance, she stopped the old man and, not allowing him to fall on his face, shouted:

What are you doing, abba, because you are a priest and carry the Holy Gifts?

He obeyed, and the saint, going ashore, said:

Bless, father, bless me.

He, trembling, answered her: - The words of the Lord, who said that according to their strength, those who purify themselves are like God, are truly true. Glory to you, Christ our God, who heeded my prayer and showed mercy to His servant. Glory to Thee, Christ our God, through this servant of His, who revealed to me my great imperfection.

The woman asked to read the Creed and Our Father. When Zosima had finished praying, she kissed the old man as usual.

Having communed the Life-Giving Mysteries, she raised her hands to heaven and with tears said a prayer: Now let Thy servant go, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation (See: Luke 2:29). Then he says to the old man:

Forgive me, abba, I ask you to fulfill one more wish of mine. Now go to your monastery, guarded by the grace of God, and next year come again to the place where I saw you for the first time. Go, for God's sake, and by the will of God you will see me again.

The old man answered her:

Oh, if it were possible for me now to follow you and forever see your honest face. But fulfill the only request of the old man - taste a little of what I brought you here.

And with these words he shows her his basket. The saint only touched the beans with her fingertips, took three grains and brought them to her mouth, saying that spiritual grace, which keeps the soul of a person in purity, is enough. Then again he says to the old man:

Pray, for God's sake, pray for me and remember me, the unfortunate one.

He, falling at the feet of the saint and urging her to pray for the Church, for the state and for it, let go with tears, for he did not dare to keep free any longer. The saint again crossed the Jordan, entered the water and, as before, walked on it.

The elder returned, full of jubilation and trembling, reproaching himself for not asking the name of the saint; however, hoped to do so next year.

After a year, the elder again goes into the desert, hurrying to that saint. Having walked quite through the desert and found signs indicating to him the place he was looking for, Zosima began to look around and look around in search of the sweetest prey, like an experienced huntsman. When he made sure that nothing was visible anywhere, he wept and, raising his eyes to the sky, began to pray, saying: “Show me, Lord, Thy treasure hidden in this wilderness. Show me, I pray, an angel in the flesh, which the world is not worthy of.” So praying, he found himself in a depression, as it were dug by a river, and saw in its eastern part that holy woman lying dead; her hands were folded according to custom, and her face turned to the sunrise. Running up, he wet her feet with tears, but he did not dare to touch the rest of her body. After weeping for quite hours and reading psalms appropriate to the time and circumstance, he made a funeral prayer and said to himself: “I don’t know whether to bury the remains of the saint or it will be objectionable to her?” Saying this, he sees in her heads an inscription inscribed on the ground, which reads: "Here, Abba Zosima, bury the remains of the humble Mary and betray the ashes to the ashes, unceasingly offering up prayers to the Lord for me, who died according to the Egyptian reckoning in the month Farmuf, according to the Romans in April, on the night of the Savior's passion, after receiving the Holy Mysteries."

Having read this inscription, the elder rejoiced, recognizing the name of the saint, as well as the fact that she, having communed at the Jordan of the Holy Mysteries, immediately found herself at the place of her departure. The path that Zosima with great difficulty covered in twenty days, Mary completed in one hour and immediately departed to the Lord. Glorifying God and sprinkling Mary's body with tears, he said:

Time, Zosima, to do what is ordered. But how, unfortunate one, can you dig a grave when you have nothing in your hands?

Having said this, he saw a fragment of a tree nearby, lying in the desert. Picking it up, Zosima began to dig the ground. But the earth was dry and did not succumb to his efforts, and the old man was tired and drenched in sweat.

Letting out a groan from the depths of his soul and raising his head, he sees that a mighty lion stands at the remains of the saint and licks her feet. At the sight of the lion, the elder trembled with fear, especially when he remembered Mary's words that she had never met an animal in the desert. Having made the sign of the cross, he cheered up, hoping that the miraculous power of the deceased would keep him unharmed. The lion began to caress the old man, showing friendliness with all his habits.

Zosima said to the lion:

The Beast, the great commanded to bury her remains, and I do not have the strength to dig a grave; dig it with your claws so that we can bury the body of the saint!

Immediately the lion dug a hole large enough to bury the body with its front paws. The elder again sprinkled the saint's feet with tears and, asking her to pray for everyone, committed the body to the ground (while the lion was standing nearby). It was, as before, naked, dressed only in that piece of himation that Zosima had given her.

After that, both departed: the lion, like a sheep, retreated into the inner wilderness, and Zosima turned back, blessing our Lord Jesus Christ and sending praises to Him.

Returning to his monastery, he told the monks and the abbot about everything, not hiding anything from what he happened to hear and see, but from the very beginning he conveyed everything to them, so that they marveled at the greatness of the Lord and honored the memory of the saint with fear and love. And hegumen John found people in the monastery who needed correction, so that here, too, the word of a saint did not turn out to be idle.

Zosima died in this monastery almost a hundred years old.

The monks from generation to generation passed on this tradition, retelling it as an edification to all who wished to listen. I wrote down what came to me orally. Others, perhaps, also described the life of the saint and much more skillfully than I, although I had not heard of anything like it, and therefore, as best I could, I compiled this story, caring most of all about the truth. The Lord, who generously rewards those who resort to Him, may He reward those who read, and listen, and those who transmitted this story to us, and vouchsafe us a good part with Blessed Mary of Egypt, about whom it was said here, together with all His saints from time immemorial, revered for contemplating and doing active virtue. Let us also glorify the Lord, Whose kingdom is forever, so that on the Day of Judgment he will honor us with His mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom all glory, honor and eternal worship with the Father without beginning and the Most Holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.