Cyril of Turovsky is one of the most significant educators and church leaders of Ancient Rus'. Most of its activity falls on the lands that currently belong to Belarus. A significant part of his life, the church minister lived in Turov, so the bishop began to be called accordingly. At that time the settlement was quite small. It was even difficult to call it a city, but the activity of the priest turned out to be so outstanding and ahead of its time that the writings he created were used in Orthodoxy for a long time. At the present time, his face is rightfully ranked among the saints.
The theologian was born in the distant year 1130. The Turov principality, which existed in the X-XIV centuries, at that time was located on the border between the middle and lower reaches of the Pripyat. The birth of the long-awaited heir was a significant event for a wealthy family. Religious education was considered one of the most worthy. Therefore, the worthy position of society for the future theologian was a predetermined issue. In addition to studying church writings he studied eloquence, writing and calligraphy. He perfectly mastered the main ancient Russian languages, as well as Byzantine history. A notable feature was the rather early realization of the lack of craving for the luxurious and idle life that his parents and relatives led. In many ways, therefore, he decided to become a novice of the Turov monastery. The oath and consecration took place around 1161.
Quite quickly, Kirill Turovsky realized that the standard ministry in the church was not enough for him. The desire to serve the Lord in a more meaningful way spurred him to a peculiar decision about seclusion. At that time, secluded priests shut themselves into the so-called "pillar", which, as usual, was the tower of the building. This was done in order to better know oneself, as well as devote all one's time to spiritual self-improvement, conversation with God and literary knowledge. During this period, Turovsky created the first significant divine writings. The peculiarity of his works is not a simple citation of the Old and New Testaments, but the addition of religious texts with his comments and appearances.
Very quickly, his work gained wide popularity. They became so common that they began to be included in church collections. Prayers began to be used not only in local churches, but also in neighboring principalities. Some time later (approximately in 1169), Cyril of Turov, for his activities, as well as the acquired authority, receives the honorary title of bishop from Prince Yuri Yaroslavich, who was ruling at that time. Literary activity, although it was key, often Cyril took part in church councils, at which the main issues of Orthodoxy were decided. So, for example, in 1169 he managed to expose the activities of Bishop Theodore, who called for separation from the Kyiv metropolis. It is known that he cursed the priest and sent him thematic messages. The authority of Turovsky made it possible to listen and prevent a split. Works in the form of prayers and other writings turned out to be so significant that subsequently they were constantly printed in the same “Teaching Gospel” on the territory of modern Belarus in the 16th-17th centuries. In the 19th century, commemorative collections of the main works of Cyril of Turov were published, which made it possible to preserve them in fact in full to this day.
With his bright and significant activity after his death, he was called the “second Zlatous”, who shone brighter than others in Rus'. What is important: the main part of the created works of Turovsky reached his contemporaries. The study of religious texts allows us to conclude that the outstanding theologian was not only a significant priest, but also a thinker, and even a philosopher. Despite the key influence in shaping his worldview came from the Byzantine clergy, he managed to develop his own style, updated to ancient Russian reality. At present, his name is revered, monuments have been erected in Minsk, Gomel and Turov in honor of Turovsky, the Theological Academy in Minsk has been named. He is ranked among the most significant Belarusian saints along with Efrosinya of Polotsk.
Cyril of Turovsky - Western Russian theologian and writer of the XII century, bishop.
In Belarus, he is considered a national educator. In the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Church, he was canonized as a "hierarch".
Biography
There is little reliable biographical information about the life of Kirill Turovsky. There is a life, it says that Cyril was the son of wealthy parents, but despised "the riches and perishable glory of this world" and began to comprehend divine teaching from an early age.
He entered the Turov Borisoglebsky Monastery, renouncing wealth. It is also known that he received a good education at home and comprehended the sciences under the guidance of Greek teachers.
To understand what Cyril of Turovsky was in reality, you need to remember what the then Turov was like. It was a city founded on the westernmost outskirts of Russian lands - apparently, by a German prince.
In the 11th century, Turov flourished under the Catholic prince Svyatopolk (nicknamed the Cursed). And by the time of Kirill's life, Turov was quite a "western" city in which crafts, trade and scientific activities developed.
“Striving for a greater feat,” Cyril, now a monk of the aforementioned Borisoglebsky monastery, “shut himself in a pillar,” that is, in the monastery tower, in which he constantly sat and indulged in prayers and the study of books. In this cell, he placed a large library at that time. Of course, his activity was not limited to reading: here he also wrote his first works of his own.
St. Cyril of Turov icon photo
Cyril was the first "pillar" in Rus' - this type of asceticism that came from Byzantium. Meanwhile, the industrious monk became known in the city. The townspeople and the prince himself came to the monastery and insisted that he take the episcopal chair. From that time on, Cyril was engaged not only in theological, but also in social and political activities.
In 1169, he participated in a church council organized to denounce the Bishop of Vladimir Theodore, an ally of Andrei Bogolyubsky. The conspiracy of the bishop and the prince was that they intended to separate from the union of Russian lands and pursue an absolutely independent policy, and the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese, thus, would also be separated from the Kyiv metropolis.
Cyril, by the power of his eloquence, "denounced" Theodore and cursed him; To Andrei Bogolyubsky, he wrote a number of letters on this subject, which, unfortunately, have not survived to our time. Andrei Bogolyubsky refused the patronage of Theodore. As a result, Bishop Theodore was executed.
In the same 1169, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death of Princess Olga, Cyril read in her honor the canon and stichera he composed. The date was celebrated for a reason: Olga was the very first known Christian in pagan Kyiv and promoted new religion among his subjects.
Cyril died at the end of the 11th century. They buried him where he bequeathed - near the church of St. Nicholas in Turov, in the same place where his teachers rested.
Heritage
Kirill Turovsky is known mainly for his literary heritage, which gained popularity in the Old Russian state, his works were copied and published until the New Age. Here are his most significant works:
- "Words" for everything " Lord's holidays"- that is, the main holidays during which Jesus Christ is glorified in the church;
- Prayers, which were later included in many handwritten and printed books, including Ivan Fedorov's Doctrine Gospel;
- Parables (about the body and the spirit, about the blind and the lame, etc.);
- Sermons;
- According to some versions, Kirill Turovsky was the author of the most poetic and most "secular" Old Russian work - "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", but this version is not supported by most researchers.
Kirill Turovsky(about 1113, Turov - after 1190) - a saint of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, a Belarusian and East Slavic religious and cultural figure: Bishop of Turov, writer, theologian, preacher, master of church eloquence, enlightener. Cross name unknown. Cyril - monastic or great schema He came from a wealthy family. He received a home education, and then a classical education for that time, probably from Greek teachers. There is little information about the life of Kirill Turovsky. The most complete information is given by his "Life" - a canonical church biography written by an unknown author, most likely in the 14th-15th centuries. Around 1123 he entered the St. Nicholas Monastery, where, after a three-year novitiate, he received monastic tonsure. Around 1143 he became a hieromonk. In 1444-1448 he was the abbot of the Nikolsky Monastery. Probably, after the election of Metropolitan Klimenty Smolyatich (1148), he became a hermit and closed himself in the "pillar" (tower), where he transferred his library. He was the first hermit known in Rus'. The period of seclusion was a time of intense spiritual life (prayer) and mental activity - he began his literary work. The search for solitude backfired. His imprisonment was a significant event for the whole of Turov and its environs; Cyril's authority increased immeasurably. He became so famous that after the death of Bishop Yuri of Turov, the prince and the townspeople asked the Metropolitan of Kyiv to appoint him to the chair of Turov. Around 1159, he was elected by the Turov veche and Prince Yuri Svyatopolchich to the episcopal chair. In 1161, his episcopal consecration (consecration) took place. A number of researchers, without indicating the date of the election and consecration of K. Turovsky, give the date of 1169, when he became (already was a bishop). He considered his position as a bishop as a difficult duty of a Christian and educator, because his sublimely poetic nature was not inclined towards a hierarchical career and ecclesiastical administration.
As a Turov hierarch, he was engaged in the organization of the diocese, preaching, church and exegetical, political and literary activities, and built churches. He was well versed in the political and secular life of the period of feudal fragmentation, and his thought and word flew to other cities of ancient Rus'. In 1169, he condemned the heresy of the Rostov Bishop Fyodor ("Theodorets"), who, using the gloriously ambitious plans of the Vladimir-Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, began a split until that time of the united Orthodox Church of Rus' - he wanted to create autocephaly in the principality. Cyril Turaўsky cursed Fyodor, and wrote many letters to Andrei Bogolyubsky on this matter, which, however, have not been preserved.
In 1184, historical sources mention Lavrenty as Bishop of Turov, which, according to one of the scientific versions, probably indicates the death of Cyril by this time. According to other sources, around 1182 (1184) he left the episcopal chair, which he handed over to Lawrence, while he continued his writing work "at St. Nicholas in Turov".
Cyril of Turovsky knew Greek and Byzantine literature well. Becoming a bishop, he became famous as a master of oratorical prose, a preacher whose main concern is the spirituality of his compatriots in accordance with the ethical and aesthetic ideals of the era. The time of the bishopric was the most fruitful in the creative activity of Cyril. He composes sermons, prayers and praises to the saints, teachings on the topics of the Gospel and the writings of the prophets, parables, canons, creating them on the model of ancient and Byzantine oratorical prose. Among them are "The Tale of the Order of the Chernorite", "Words on the Origin of Monastic Life", a weekly prayer cycle (32 prayer-confessions), solemn and didactic sermons (10 readings for the holidays of the Great Cycle, "Words for Theophany", "Words for Pentecost" , "Words about not forgetting your teachers", etc.), teachings (about the exodus of the soul, about the fear of God, about wisdom, about the benefits of reading books), parables about the human soul and body (about the lame and the blind), messages - parables to the Kiev-Pechersk hegumen Vasily (about the unwise king and the schema), three Great Canons (N the Dormition of Princess Olga, Prayerful, Repentant), etc. In some works, he touched on topical moral and ethical problems, important issues of socio-political life.
The original talent of Cyril of Turov, of exceptional figurative and pictorial power, was most manifested in the "words" about various holidays, where through the traditional biblical content, man's admiration for the beauty of nature, the joy of life, the desire for spiritual perfection and ideal is manifested. Thanks to the rich poetic phraseology, syntactic parallelism, and the general rhythmic structure, some works resemble schikhs in prose. Allegories, symbols, rhetorical appeals, detailed comparisons give them deep lyricism, emotionality, sublimity. The refined Church Slavonic language, combined with a lively folk-poetic word, testifies to book culture, literary art and the courage of the author.
K. Turovsky is one of the most educated people of his time. With his knowledge, he surpassed his contemporaries not only in Belarus, but throughout the entire East Slavic world. He was the best connoisseur of St. Writings among the early East Slavic writers High education and morality, outstanding eloquence, good command of ancient Greek and Church Slavonic languages brought Kirill great respect among his contemporaries and descendants. His works were included in the golden fund of ancient East Slavic literature. There is an opinion that K. Turovsky is the author of the poem "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", which is a masterpiece of ancient East Slavic literature. Thanks to his preaching abilities, he earned the name of the second Chrysostom from his contemporaries. "Chrysostom, who more than all shone forth to us in Rus'...," the author of his life wrote about him. Of the later Belarusian educators, only Simeon of Polotsk mastered the skill of eloquence, although he was inferior to his outstanding predecessor in the strength and beauty of lyrical self-identification.
The theological and philosophical views, which are based on theocentrism, and the social and ethical views of K. Turovsky are reflected in his works. writer. His theological ideas do not always agree with orthodox Orthodox theology. He nowhere claims that God created the world from "nothing", from some kind of emptiness, but likens God the Demiurge to an artist and architect who created a perfect work - space, earth and sky, plants and animals, and finally man - the crown of this creation. . He also calls the followers of Christ, the spiritual leaders of Christianity - patriarchs, bishops, abbots, priests "skillful builders of a glorious and very honest house." With regard to the nature created by him, God acts as the supreme legislator, who keeps being in a state of dynamic, moving harmony.
K.Turovsky develops the theological tradition of the Eastern Fathers christian church, according to which God is unknowable in concepts, transcendent (outside of human experience). He leads the idea of the God-manhood of Christ: as a man he died, but as God rose again on the third day.
Condemns paganism. However, against the backdrop of the negativist concept of pagan culture that dominated the ecclesiastical environment of medieval Rus', the enlightenment of K. Turovsky stands out for its benevolence and tolerance for folk culture. Poganskaya mythology seems to him to be faith in created nature, and not in the Creator himself.
Intolerant of Arianism, which rejected the divine nature of Christ and his divine-human mission on earth.
With great poetic expression, he revealed the Christian thought about the contradictory nature of man, the polarity, ambivalence of human existence, about the lofty spiritual mission of man on earth and his fall through earthly sins and temptations. He wrote that a person aspires to heaven, but his wings are burdened with earthly passions - self-love, envy, anger, hostility, implacability and other sins of soul and body.
Revealed the deep socio-ethical meaning of monastic life and indirectly exposed imperfection political system, earthly power in general, which serves the sinful nature of man, and not his spiritual improvement. Here, in the midst of human power, the spiritual mission of the "monastic order" is manifested - to give a person and society examples of being with God and for divine providence, life in purity and in accordance with God's truth.
Perhaps already at the beginning of the 13th century, and in Turov itself and immediately after his death, K. Turovsky was revered as a saint, although no information about his official canonization was found. At Turave himself, the yaga, the magchym, was considered a saint adrazu grazed death. In archives, departments of manuscripts of libraries and museums, numerous lists of "The Life of Cyril of Turov" of the 12th - 17th centuries have been preserved. (only researcher Valery Galko identified 11 lists of him previously unknown), written by an unnamed author in connection with the canonization of Cyril.
The unusual literary skill of K. Turovsky brought him a long and stable fame in the East and South Slavic world. For many centuries, his works were very popular here, distributed in the lists of the 12th - 17th centuries. His prayers were printed in Belarus in the Teaching Gospel (Zabludov, 1569) by the Russian pioneer Ivan Fedarava and his colleague, Belarusian Peter Mstislavets, in Everyday Prayers (Evie, 1615; Vilna, 1635) and other publications.
The personality of K. Turovsky attracted the attention of Russian scientists of the 19th century. In collecting, studying and publishing it literary heritage K.Kalaidavich, Bishop of Minsk and Turov Evgeny, A.Ponomarev, M.Sukhomlinov and others did a lot in the 20th century. - I. Eremin. In Soviet Belarus, the name of K. Turovsky was not mentioned for a long time, except in a negative sense: all sorts of statements that Belarusian literature did not grow from October, but goes back to K. Turovsky were announced in the 1930s as a nationalist idealization of the feudal past of Belarus, class theory.
To date, about 70 works of the writer are known. In addition to works in which the authorship of K. Turovsky is indisputably established, there are many others - "Cyril Mnich", "Cyril the Unworthy", "Cyril the Sinful", etc. - the authorship of which is doubtful. In many cases, an unknown author used the fame of Kirill of Turov and signed his work, usually weaker in artistic terms, with his name. The most complete edition of the works of K. Turovsky was carried out by A. Melnikov in his book "Kiryl, Bishop of Turausky" (Mn., 1997). The works of K. Turovsky were translated from Church Slavonic into Russian, Polish, and English. Recently, they began to be translated into the Belarusian language and, thus, are returning to Belarus, where the vast majority of the population does not understand the Church Slavonic language, in an updated form.
St. Cyril became very popular after the last World War among Belarusian emigrants. Belarusian Orthodox parishes in New York and Toronto, a hostel school for Belarusian children in London are named after him. J. Germanovich, A. Nadson were engaged in the study of K. Turovsky's work in exile. A connoisseur of Belarusian church music Guy Picard (London) has selected music for some of the prayers of K. Turovsky, translated into Belarusian. Now they are sung in all Catholic shrines in Belarus, where only the Belarusian language is heard.
Belarusian Orthodox Church honors Cyril of Turov. In 1984 he was included in the Cathedral of Belarusian Saints. April 28 (pa old style) - Day of his memory. In 1993, a public, scientific, cultural and educational Society named after Kirill Turovsky was created in Gomel. In the urban village of Turov, a monument to Cyril of Turov was erected.
Editions of works by K. Turovsky:
1. Eremin I.P. Literary heritage of Kirill Turovskag // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - T. XI. - S. 342 - 367. - M.-L., 1955; vol. XII. - S. 340 - 361. - M.-L., 1956; vol. XIII. - S. 409 - 436. - M.-L., 1957; t XV. - S. 331 - 348. - M.-L., 1958.
2. Eremin I.P. Oratory of Kirill Turovsky // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - T. XVIII. - M.-L., 1962.
3. Kirill Turovsky. Word about wisdom (parable) // Krynitsa. - 1994. - No. 1 (7).
4. Cyril Mniha parable of the human soul and about the body, and about the transgression of God's commandment, and about the resurrection of the human body, and about the future judgment, and about the torment // Old Belarusian literature: Zbarnik. - Mn., 1990. - S. 44 - 53.
5. Kiryla Turaўsky. Words to the uncle of the Holy Fama / Peraklad A. Razanaў // Krynitsa. - 1994. - No. 1 (7).
6. Kiryly manakha velmi karysnae pavuchanne // Spadchyna. - 1990. - No. 2. - S. 33.
7. Melnik A. Kiryl, Bishop of Turaўsk. - Mn., 1997.
8. Prayers for the whole week of St. Cyril, Bishop of Turov. - Kazan, 1857.
9. The words of St. Kiryla ab book reading and navutsy // Spadchyna. - 1990. - No. 2. - S. 31 - 32.
10. Creations of the holy father of our Cyril Bishop of Turov. - Kyiv, 1880.
11. Kirill von Turow. Gebet. - Munchen, 1965.
12. Cyryl Turowski. Homilie Pascalne. Prekad i komentaze W.Hryniewicz. - Opole, 1992.
Literature:
1. Bagadzyazh M. Kiryla Turaўskі // Praz smugu stagadzyaў / Uklad. M.Bagadzyazh. - Mn., 1993. - S. 35 - 38.
2. Galka V. Kiryla Turaўskі i yago spadchyna // Belarusian gіstarychny chasopіs. - 1993. - No. 3. - S. 29 - 35.
3. Conan W.M. Kiryla Turaўskі // Thoughts and Aspects of Belarus. Х - ХІХ stagadzі: Encyclopaedic davednik. - Mn., 1995. - S. 23-29.
4. Yu. - Mn., 1992.
5. Melnikov A.A. The path is not sad: Historical evidence of the holiness of Belaya Rus. - Mn., 1992.
6. Miller A. Kiryla Turaўsky // Encyclopedia of History of Belarus: At 6 vols. T. 4. - Mn., 1997. - P. 183.
7. Melnikau A.A., Chamyarytsky V.A. Kiryla Turaўskі // Religion and the Church in Belarus: Encyclopedic Davednik. - Mn., 2001.- S. 160 - 161.
8. Frost V. Chrysostom, who shone more than all // From the darkness of centuries, brightening faces / Comp. Yu.Ya.Gurtovenko, T.I.Ulevich. - Mn., 1994. - S. 15 - 25
9. Nadsan A. Svyaty Kiryl Turaўsky. - Landan, 1968.
10. Nadsan A. Saints of Kiryl Turaўsky // Spadchyna. - 1996. - No. 1 - 2.
11. Sukhomlinov M.I. On the writings of Cyril of Turov // Manuscripts of Count A.S. Uvarava. - St. Petersburg, 1858. - T. 2. - Issue. 1.
12. "Turausky Zalatavust" // Spadchyna. - 1990. - No. 2. - S. 31 - 32.
13. Tatarynovic P. San Kirillo vesc. Ji Turov e la sua Jottrina spirituale. - Roma, 1950.
Saint Kirill, Bishop of Tu-rovsky, was born in the 30s of the XII century in the city of Tu-ro-ve on the river Pri -five at god-ga-ty ro-di-te-lei.
From an early age, St. Cyril with user-di-em read sacred books and reached a deep understanding of them. He studied not only with the Russians, but also with the Greeks. At a mature age, St. Cyril from-ka-sal-sya from the inheritance and took a haircut in the Tu-rovsky Bo-ri-so-gleb-sky mo- on-st-re. He hung out a lot in prayer and prayer and taught the monks half-no-mu in listening to the yoke-me-nu: a monk, someone who doesn’t-ho-dit-sya in listening to the yoke-me-na, doesn’t use his own both and somehow can’t save yourself.
So-stored-no-moose three co-chi-non-nies of the holy Kiril-la about a different life, one of them - "Say-for- knowledge about the black-and-riz-rank from Vet-ho-go Za-ko-na and from No-go "- maybe from-not-se-but by the time-me-no pre-be -va-niya him in the mo-on-sta-re.
After some time, St. Cyril retired to the gate on a pillar, where he strengthened even more in motion and "many Gods -on Pi-sa-niya from lo-zhi". Many turned to him for advice in the spiritual life.
The sanctity of life and you-so-illumination of the holy Cy-ril-la ob-ra-ti-whether all-general attention to him, and he was taken to the Tu-rov-ka-fed-ru. In 1169, St. Cyril took part in the co-bo-re, os-div-shem of the bishop-pa Fe-o-do-ra, someone ry occupied the Vla-di-mi-ro-Suz-dal department and tried to de-pour from the Kiev mit-ro-po-lea. St. Ky-rill ob-li-chil the heresy Fe-o-do-ra and composed many messages to the holy prince An-drey Bo-go -lovingly (pa-myat on July 4), in some way he taught him and instructed him in the way of church nonstro-e-nies in Rostov land.
Out of love for seclusion, St. Ky-rill left the ka-fed-ru (until 1182, yes, under someone-eye, there is already an epi -skop Tu-rov-sky Lav-ren-ty) and a full-on-stu in-sacred himself to pi-sa-nia of spirit-hov-nyh co-chi-non-ny. He co-stated, ve-ro-yat-but, the words for the entire year-round of the Lord's holidays, but not all of them were saved. According to the teachings of the saint-te-la Kiril-la, they were smaller in collections along with the ancient holy-father-che-ski-mi your-re-ni-i-mi.
Rev. Cyril passed away on April 28, about 1183. From the modern-men-ni-kov, he got the name-no-va-nie of the Russian-go. The saint himself humbled himself, but he said: “I am not a reaper, but I gather a bunch of heaven; -lah "- always, one-on-one, co-knowing you-with-that sacred service, for some-swarm in a hundred- the Lord forked him: “If I spoke from myself, you would de la ho-ro-sho without coming to the temple. But I I give you the Word of the Lord, yes, I read to you the gra-mo-that Christ-to-vu ... I give the words of God, the best gold and do- horny stones, sweeter than honey and honeycomb, and you deprive them, not coming to church, .. but you, come walking, praising and bless-ing-words.
See also: "" in from-lo-same-nii svt. Di-mit-ria Rostov-sko-go.
Prayers
Troparion to St. Cyril, Bishop of Turov
Piety to the zealot and zealot, / to monks and pillars of praise, / to the saint of the Turov flock, glorious, / golden-spoken teacher, / enlightening the ends of Russia with the bright teaching of his God-reason, / in prayer to God, the gracious sinners helper, / Cyril the God-wise, pray to Christ God / be affirmed to us , your compatriot, / / in Orthodoxy, piety and unanimity.
Translation: zealot and champion, monks and honor, St. Turov, glorious, gifted with eloquence, a teacher who enlightened all the ends of the Russian land with his bright teaching, in prayer to God, the grace-filled helper of sinners, Cyril the God-wise, pray to Christ God to be affirmed to us, your compatriots, in Orthodoxy, piety and unanimity.
Magnification to St. Cyril, Bishop of Turov
We magnify you, / ascetic of Turov and Saint Kirill, / golden-spoken Russian teacher, / and honor your holy memory, / for you are a zealous intercessor before God for our kind / / and a warm prayer book for the salvation of our souls.
Prayer to St. Cyril, Bishop of Turov
Oh, marvelous ascetic, glorious to the saint, golden-spoken of the Russian lands to the teacher, great saint of God, Cyril! Looking for the blessings of the Highest from the youth, the nobility of the family and earthly riches, as if they were wise, imputed thou, blessed, loved with all your heart poverty, vigil, veneration, humility, sorrow and the narrowness of monasticism, and also the greater Christ for the sake of a feat you lifted up, ascended a pillar , worthy! Wisdom on high, testing what is the will of God, good, pleasing and perfect, unceasingly nourished the soul and heart with the Divine teachings. Having been implored to be an archpastor, you truly saved your flock of Turov, nourishing them with the healthy teachings of the Orthodox faith and leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven. The same appeared thou the leader of the monks, the glory of the ascetics, the pillar of Orthodoxy, the luminary of the Russian Church, the shepherd and archpastor of the image, all the faithful, a good leader to truth and truth. You appeared great in the Kingdom of God, having created all that was commanded by God yourself, and you taught our ancestors to create. For this sake, to you, God-wise Kirill, singing God glorified in you, we run and, honoring your memory, we pray: intercede for us, unworthy, before the Lord God. Through your prayers and intercession, may the true spirit of living faith and holy piety be established in us, may we all be preserved by the grace of God from unbelief, unbelief and superstition, from moral vacillation and spiritual weakness. Great saint ascetic of Christ! Pray to the merciful God, that since ancient times the striving for the highest moral perfection, love for monasticism, concern for the well-being of churches and the splendor of temples, zeal for the goodness of church worship take out remain our property, not weakening, not diminishing, but strengthening, growing and prospering. Saint Cyril! May the shepherds of the verbal flock of Christ with the burning spirit be your prayers in your fatherland, those who work for the Lord, and not please themselves, the flock, and not themselves shepherds. Let them be good shepherds, laying down their lives for the sheep of their flock, and not hirelings, neglecting the sheep and running away at the sight of a wolf and leaving the sheep to be plundered. You, blessed Kirilla, both by word and scripture taught you the ancient princes and all the people of the Russian land to walk worthy of your title. Look upon us, your descendants, children and disciples, and implore God to send firmness and prosperity to our country, holiness and strength to our laws, wisdom, diligence, selflessness and impartiality to our rulers and judges. Ask the All-Generous God for all of us and for everyone separately, beneficial, even to the stomach and piety: for the weak in faith and good deeds, strengthening, for the fallen, resurrection, for the striving for good, prosperity. May harmony, love, mutual respect, care for each other, God's blessing in the birth of children, not be impoverished in parents. Children brought up in the fear of the Lord, may they understand the wisdom of God and may they be infants in malice, and not in the mind. Let schoolmasters and mentors abound in knowledge and in every sense, moreover, let them abound in piety and for the good of the true children with care. Wonderful Saint Cyril! You yourself see the country, in it you were born and in it you labored a lot; see the people, you enlightened them of old. Weigh yourself, we demand, weigh our infirmities and sins. Be our helper, patron, intercessor and steward of our life. Yes, under your protection and intercession, we will worthily praise the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Canons and Akathists
Akathist to St. Cyril, Bishop of Turov
Kondak 1
Chosen saint of Christ and the commandments of the Gospel, a fair zealot, of all the Russian land, golden-spoken teacher, we glorify thee, intercessor for all, with faith diligently resorting to you, as you come with boldness Holy Trinity, pray for us, your unworthy children, let us live in the firmness of the Orthodox faith and virtue and sing to you with tenderness:
Ikos 1
From infancy, he learned angelic life from God-loving parents of a noble family, both loving neither wealth, nor the glory of corruption, nor the comforts of this world, all, as you know, imputed thou; having perceived the wisdom of the book from the fair teachers of the Greeks, and moreover, your mind from youth is diligent to the teaching of Divine Scripture and sacred books, striving, prayer, solitude and fasting, you loved Cyril. Now move us to such virtues, gratefully singing to you:
Rejoice, wonderful branch of the city of Turov, bearing good fruit; Rejoice, for thou hast loved the One Lord and His commandments from a young age.
Rejoice, for you comforted your pious parents with diligence in teaching; rejoice, as if from teachers, eminent Greeks, you received the bookish mind.
Rejoice, prosperous in bookish wisdom and contemplation; Rejoice, having received the wisdom of God from the Holy Scriptures.
Rejoice, creation of John Chrysostom and the holy fathers of Byzantium nourishing your mind; Rejoice, chastity, humility and meekness from youth preserved and carried through all your life.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 2
Seeing the sad end of the life of the flesh, you despised the rebellion of the world, you loved sorrow and the tightness of the monastic, you came to the monastery of St. Nicholas from your parental home, and there you perceived the angelic image, obedience to the hegumen, a good zealot was you, incessantly in prayers to God crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
The mind is perfect and desire to acquire passionlessness and despising all earthly things, priceless beads, Christ, you have found in the monastery of the saints. There, too, the priesthood himself soon took up the burden of the abbess; Thou taught the monks mutual brotherly love and firm obedience and self-denial. We, jealousy for your Bose, tenderly, like a God-wise mentor, we sing to the sitz:
Rejoice, fertilizing your soul with fasting, tears and prayerful vigils; Rejoice, thou who zealously taught self-denial and obedience to the monks.
Rejoice, placing the fear of God at the foundation of monastic virtues; rejoice unceasing prayer speaking with your mouth and heart.
Rejoice, for you surprised the brethren of the monastery with the gift of reasoning; Rejoice, for thou taughtt thou to depart from quarrels and idle speeches.
Rejoice, for you corrected the strictness and exhortation of the unruly and negligent; Rejoice, for thou didst sob unceasingly about peace-loving and idle-lovers.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 3
We strengthen with power from above, you have found an imperishable treasure for your soul, but you have care not only about other people, but also about those who are in the world: both of you were a spiritual mentor and a preacher of truth to everyone wandering in darkness, now deliver us from the vanity of life with yours to With prayers to God, to Him in the simplicity of the heart we cry out: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Having great diligence about arranging the common life of the monastic in the abbot of the dominion of the monastery of Boriso-Gleb, Bishop George was appointed and there not only a monk, but also all the people of the city of Turov who came to you for salvation became the mentor, sick with heart for them and tears with tenderness of the Almighty and Begging the good Queen Mother of God for the forgiveness of sins. There you were also filled with the light of grace-filled boldness, now intercede for us the mercy of God and teach us to cry out to you with love:
Rejoice, as a well of living water, you quenched your spiritual thirst; Rejoice, for thou hast continually asked God for the salvation of penitent sinners.
Rejoice, as if by repentance those who had become obsolete with passions for renewal urged you; Rejoice, for thou didst rescue those drowning in lust from the abyss of sin.
Rejoice, eternal consolation of all the mournful and sad; Rejoice, glory to the monks and ascetics of piety.
Rejoice, now monasticism and solitude for those who love grace-filled inspiration; Rejoice, zealots of piety, a fair enrichment.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 4
Having rejected the storm of the enemy’s temptations and imitating the ascetic of the Christian East, you left your abbess and, having ascended the pillar, shut yourself up, and there you spent days and nights in prayer in a cramped cell, protecting yourself from the vanity of the world with deep fasting and theology, many inspired creations tamo wrote Thou, glorifying God with an angelic song: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
Hearing the birds of the sky singing and God's creation seeing beauty, in your pillar for the whole world you prayed, philosophizing on high and testing what is the will of God; the interlocutor was an angel, illumined by purity with kindness, inspired by the Spirit of God, you exuded bright teachings of your God-reason and prayers, the image of the Russian land was enlightened. We are your deeds and labors to please and jubilantly:
Rejoice, blessed pillar, recluse, wonderful and praiseworthy; Rejoice, day and night in repentance and prayer.
Rejoice, leaving many scriptures and prayers for edification to us; Rejoice, golden-spoken teacher of the flock of Turov and all the Russian land.
Rejoice, as if on a cross, you lifted up your body on a pillar; Rejoice, having received help from the Lord in your labors.
Rejoice, in the midst of the rumors of the worldly spirit of the desert in yourself you did not quench; Rejoice, talent given by God, multiplied a hundredfold.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 5
The Lord sees a new star in Holy Rus' rising in you, prepare you for the hierarchal service, and after the repose of Bishop George, many people with Prince Turov lead to your pillar to pray to you as the bishop of this ancient city. But you, Father Kirill, tearfully praying, betrayed everything to yourself to the will of Christ God, and having received an answer from Worthless, you sang with thanksgiving: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Seeing in you a burning lamp of pure faith and understanding the Truth of a wise teacher, Archpastor Konstantin of Kiev, at the request of Prince Yuri and the boyars of Turov, like a worthy vessel God's grace, put you on the pulpit of the ancient city of Turov and all the land of Polesia, and enlighten the people there, who are in the darkness of the pagans. But we, marveling at the wonderful providence of God about you, bring thee blessings of sitz:
Rejoice, for thou hast been called a blessed and righteous hierarch as a bishop; rejoice, for thou hast become a saint from the holy hierarch.
Rejoice, the dignity of the highest church with humility; Rejoice, archpastor and shepherd, revealing the true image of meekness.
Rejoice, beautiful host of hierarchs of the Russian Church; Rejoice, inflaming with the spirit of living faith and piety of many.
Rejoice, for thou hast appeared as the vigilant worker of Christ's grapes; rejoice, for thou hast entered into the joy of thy Lord.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 6
The preacher of true piety and repentance appeared to you, Father Cyril, when you could not endure the cold feast in your city, and like a good warrior of Christ, you denounced all the games of demons and pagan dancing, admonishing the lost sheep with a wise word, but taught the faithful to cry out to the One True God: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Thou hast shone forth, Father Cyril, like the brightest sun to the flock of Turov and all the Russian land, illuminating the hearts of Christians with Orthodox teaching, dispelling the darkness of superstition and wickedness. And now, O golden-spoken Divine rhetorician and teacher, of your writings, with the sweetness of all those who are hungry and thirsty for truth, they are sated and gratefully cry out to you:
Rejoice, teacher of Orthodoxy and Chrysostom of the Russian land, instruct us on the path of salvation; Rejoice, leader, bring all those blinded by spiritual eyes to Christ.
Rejoice, sower of truth, faithful from the charm of sinful freedom; Rejoice, adamante, affirming the true spirit of faith and piety.
Rejoice, overseer of superstitions, heresies and splits in the church flock; Rejoice, pagan idols to the consumer and drunkenness to the eradicator.
Rejoice, turn those who have fallen away and lost their way to the right faith; Rejoice, thy mouth, full of grace, proclaiming golden words.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 7
Although you preserve the unity of the Russian Church, imitating St. Nicholas of Myra, you, blessed Cyril, the heretic bishop and schismatic of Suzdal Theodorets, for the reproach of the tacos named, as if Aria the Mad at the Cathedral of Kiev, denounced thou and, together with all the hierarchs, betrayed the anathema to God, Helping in the cause of justice with the Holy Spirit, gratefully sang the song of victory: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
The Lord set thee a new guardian of the purity of Orthodoxy for the whole land of Russia, defeating the false teaching and heretical wickedness with the Spirit of Truth, and called on Grand Duke Andrei to truly be God-loving, Father Cyril; in the spiritual wisdom of that, nourishing like a child of the church, the same we are strengthened by your prayers, we humbly cry out to you:
Rejoice, blessed protection of the unity of Holy Rus'; Rejoice, praise and consolation of our holy fathers.
Rejoice, fervent zealot of the welfare of the temples of God; Rejoice, pacifier of popular unrest and church divisions.
Rejoice, deliberate peacemaker, mentor of peace; Rejoice, unfading light of truth and love to the Church of Russia.
Rejoice, inspiring the ruler and judges to be wise and unselfish; Rejoice, for the propitiation of the warring prayer to God, like incense, bringing.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 8
A strange and divine miracle is seen, as if by your diligence a new great temple is being built on Mount Zamkova, and the Orthodox Faith is not only in the city of Turov, but is strengthened throughout White Rus'. But we, diligently looking forward to the dispensation in the hearts of our abode of the Holy Spirit, except with you, God-wise Cyril, from the bad lips we dare to cry out to the Creator of our salvation with a single voice: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
The whole law, even according to the Bose of life, is revealed in itself, the mentor and preacher is amazing and skillful, you, blessed Kirill, truly appeared to be the Chrysostom of all Rus'. There are many spiritually useful teachings on the Gospel and prophetic Scriptures, which are revered on the feasts of the Lord, so prayers to God for every hour and day of the week, the canon is repentant, the saints of praise, instructions by a monk and a shepherd and another multiplier wrote thou and betrayed the Russian Church during his time; the same and now to all the faithful you show the right paths to the Kingdom of Christ, but you, like a teacher of the God-wise, gratefully cry out:
Rejoice, tireless guardian of church sermons; Rejoice, great rhetorician of Orthodoxy and spiritual knowledge of God in Rus', planter.
Rejoice, for you are zealously jealous of the deanery of the church service; Rejoice, as the river of a reasonable paradise, you fill all Rus' with saving teachings.
Rejoice, for you have always blocked the lips of the evil serpent, and inspiring the faithful to spiritual exploits; Rejoice, for you show the path of truth to the blinded eyes of the soul.
Rejoice, calling upon negligent servants of the Church to sobriety and good conscience; Rejoice, having strengthened the verbal flock of Christ's shepherds with the spirit of love burning with your blessing.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 9
You endured all the sorrows and reproach, Father Cyril, for the sake of truth, according to the Scriptures: There is no prophet without honor, but only in your house, but in your preaching you relentlessly admonished and instructed your flock, that all in repentance will call on the name of the Creator and God, to Him with boldness we tenderly offer the song: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
There will not be enough ornateness, in a hedgehog to talk about your patience, when your golden words are not listened to by foolish people, both by human superstition and false faith, in drunkenness, fornication and other passions, like drowning in carnal mud; but we, your child, have received the words of your wisdom in our hearts, we cry out to you with tears:
Rejoice, detractor of ambition and philanthropy; Rejoice, reformer of the unruly and blasphemous with strict admonition.
Rejoice, for thou didst endure grief for the flock; rejoice, as you meekly implored for the enemies of the Lord with tears.
Rejoice, conqueror of all enmity and opposition with the love of Christ; Rejoice, subduing hearts with your gentleness and simplicity, petrified.
Rejoice, for you have taught many people patience and meekness by your life; rejoice, for in the virtues of faith, hope and love you have established many.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 10
Save even the faithful many, reveal the Lord in the land of Polissya on the cross the image of His Mother Kupyatitsky; But you, Father Cyril, having endured many sorrows in the declining years of your righteous life, received admonition from above and retired to your native monastery, where you took the monastic vows; we, praising your deeds and labors there, all-night vigils, outpouring tears and patience, we sing to the Merciful Righteous Retributor God: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
You appeared as a wall of intercession and help to Orthodox people, burning evil spirits with fiery prayer and tears, protecting them from delusions with wise advice, warming hearts with Divine love; you saved many from the work of the enemy, you appeared as a luminous torch of spiritual mentoring as a prince and a people; but we pray thee, father, and in this last time the lamps of faith and piety in the lands of Russia will not be scarce, but you, living in heaven, receive this song from us unworthy:
Rejoice, indestructible pillar of Orthodoxy and a tearful prayer book for the whole world; Rejoice, in spiritual reasoning similar to the blessed and wise old man and about their sad children.
Rejoice, for you have driven away evil spirits from the faithful; Rejoice, as if you are crying over the faulty living.
Rejoice, more than your own, seeking the benefit of your neighbors; Rejoice, instructing and beautifying a multitude of monks and priests.
Rejoice, thou who didst forbid the faithful to depart from the communion of the church; Rejoice, praise and blessing of those who love the temples of God and shrines.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 11
Bring a meritorious song, we pray, reverend Cyril, may Holy Rus' rejoice, our long-suffering land and your city to a new godly life, pray for us, your children; let us not appear ungrateful for the many mercies of the Lord to us sinners, and let us not give in to despondency and negligence, both diligently sing to God a victorious song: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
With your bright, equal-angelic and mournful life, you lit up the whole Russian land, Saint Cyril. Whenever the time of your departure is in time, the angels of the holy soul have lifted up your blessed soul in the heavenly abodes: the body of your honorable successor, St. Lawrence, was found incorruptible, your holiness testifies; both later, by God's providence, the relics of your saints until the time the people were hidden, but they would be preserved from the reproach of the Hagarites; but we earnestly ask God for forgiveness of our sins and iniquities, and we cry out to you:
Rejoice, saint of Christ, who ended your piety during your life; Rejoice, having united with all the saints forever and inheriting eternal glory.
Rejoice, through the labors of the earthly wanderings in the heavenly villages, resting and not knowing the corruption of your body; Rejoice, with your holy relics, hidden for a time, instilling reverence for the shrines to all.
Rejoice, for with the prayers of the pious, your holy body is to be worshiped by the faithful; rejoice, for then in the truth of Orthodoxy you will unquestionably convince many and glorify your land with spiritual flourishing.
Rejoice, as if with golden words your erring sons directed to orthodoxy; Rejoice, for even now your fatherland, the ancient city of Turov, and all White Rus', from unrest, has always interceded and affirmed.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 12
The grace of the wisdom of the book and many gifts of heaven received Thou, most blessed Cyril. For this sake, the saints and all God-loving people glorify you, as a saint of God and the glorious Chrysostom of the Russian land, constantly marveling at your wonderful gifts and labors, and God exclaiming: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Singing to your glorious memory, our God-bearing Father Cyril, we wish you worthy to appease and as if to a representative for the Belarusian people and for all Orthodox Rus' we cry out: be a diligent intercessor for the salvation of all the faithful, who love your golden words and pray with your prayers, now together we loudly praise you with joy:
Rejoice, as by your spirit and now invisibly stay with us; Rejoice, as the God-bearing cloud fills our hearts with life-giving drops of grace.
Rejoice, for at this time you helped to eradicate the grave godless delusion; Rejoice, for you irrigate our hearts, burnt by the dryness of sinfulness, with divine dew. Rejoice, for your fingers are moved by God and show your people the way from the yoke of sin; Rejoice, as with the preaching of the inspired teachings of Christ, as the sun, go around Holy Rus'.
Rejoice, intercessor for our sinful souls with the King of Heaven; rejoice, for angels rejoice over you and people rejoice.
Rejoice, Cyril Chrysostom, God-wise mentor of repentance.
Kondak 13
Oh, our most glorious and wonderful Father Cyril, the honest saint and Chrysostom, who shone more than all in Rus', enlightened all the ends of Russia with the holy and bright teachings of Christ. Accept this praiseworthy singing from us unworthy, and with your warm intercession at the Throne of God, ask us for remission of sins, affirmation in faith and good deeds, deliverance from troubles and sorrows, and let us live in piety the rest of the summer of our belly, crying out to God: Alleluia.
(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)
Ascetic works of Cyril of Turov
Among the authentic works of the Bishop of Turov are three didactic works that develop his ascetic ideas; two of them are directly related to the monastic vocation, as evidenced by their titles: "The Tale of the Chernohrizniki rank" and "A word to Basil the hegumen, about the secular rank and the monastic rank, and about the soul, and about repentance"; the third is devoted to more general ethical problems and is called "The Parable of the Human Soul and Body." All three works are written in the same allegorical manner as his sermons, hence the use of the word "parable" in the titles. The first essay is an excursion into the Old Testament in search of the roots of Christian monasticism; the second is a Buddhist legend, preserved in the Christianized Life of St. Barlaam and Joasaph. In the third work, just as in the case of the Indian story, the parable of the blind man and the lame man, well known in the medieval literatures of the West and East, is used. It is rather curious that Cyril is looking for the roots of monasticism in Judaism and Hinduism, bypassing the Gospels, which for Theodosius were the only source. True, Cyril, as we have seen, takes the Indian parable for a chapter from the Gospel of Matthew, thereby betraying a lack of understanding of the style and spirit of the New Testament.
The idea of following Christ is not alien to Cyril. In one place, he even expresses it explicitly: “You listen to Christ alone commandment and life, even from Christmas and until the crucifixion of vexation and slander, reproach and wounds for the sake of you endure.” But the motive of following Christ is of secondary importance for Cyril. Enumerating the motives for choosing the monastic life, he does not mention the Christological reason at all: “... either desiring the promised kingdom, or not enduring the devil’s sinful work, or not loving life’s sorrows ... or embarrassing his wife and children ...” All these motives for him are legitimate and obviously exhaustive.
The most serious motive is the evil of this world and the practical impossibility of being saved by living in the world. As the apostle John says, "The whole world lies in evil." All worldly occupations are initially infected with sin: “All power is numbered with sin. For those who sell, when a purchase is made, this sin will be committed, and all the other things of life. In poverty and wealth, family and home, they have a back (obstacle) for salvation.
Here Cyril the ascetic comes into sharp conflict with Cyril the preacher. In his sermons addressed to the laity, he emphasized that easy paths to salvation were open to princes and the rich. In his sermons, he makes no distinction between rich and poor. This contradiction is not unique to Cyril; it is the fundamental contradiction inherent in the Byzantine understanding of Christianity, the contradiction between the Church of the Desert and the Church of the Empire. For radical ascetics, adherents of the desert, the entire secular world is doomed to perish. For the optimistic representatives of the imperial Church, this Church itself is already the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. This opposition is expressed by Cyril in an image taken from Solomon's Song of Songs:
“The royal daughter is black and beautiful” (1, 5): black - thanks to the power of the world; beautiful - thanks to the monastic mantle.
If there is nothing in the world but sin, then monastic life- not just one of the many Christian vocations, but the only one possible. Every Christian is obliged to bear the yoke of the Lord, that is, he must take monastic vows upon himself. If Cyril does not speak directly about the condemnation that awaits all the laity (he calls them by the Greek word "kosmiki"), then this idea is implied in the following interpretation of Christ's prayer for the disciples in the Gospel of John (17, 9): "Jesus Christ, free of charge saving the monastic rank, He Himself prays for us, saying: “Holy Father, I do not pray for the whole world, but only for them.”
According to Cyril, the conversion begins with the "sadness of the mind" and with the "memory of death"; it is a Hindu rather than a Greek motif of world pessimism. "Sorrow" leads a person to the gates of the monastery, for the memory of death, which will not leave him here, Cyril uses the image of an inseparable wife, "singing him a sweet song." “Sweet”, because in the other world joy awaits the righteous.
Life in a monastery means "fasts, prayers, tears, abstinence and bodily purity." However, the struggle against bodily passions is of secondary importance. True, the spirit perceives virtues more easily and more vividly, while the flesh is weak - it is amazing how insignificant Cyril's accusations against the flesh are. In his interpretation of the parable "The Blind and the Lame", he takes a neutral position in the struggle between the soul and the body. The blind is the human soul, and the lame is the body. Both of them, having united their weak forces, commit a sin by robbing the garden of the Lord. They try in vain to blame each other. The Lord condemns both, and after the resurrection of the body, they will pay the common tribute with their suffering.
Therefore, quite consistently, Cyril does not call for bodily asceticism. He never asks for more than usual - a mandatory fast is enough. He goes so far as to call the monastic life easy compared to Eden; he defines it as the absence of labor: "Eat easy bread, like manna, from Kelar's hand, eat."
This physical ease of monastic life is very deceptive, since it entails more severe demands on the spirit: complete self-sacrifice, the rejection of one's own "I", which is the root of all sins. The monk sacrifices himself, just as, according to the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed to God in the desert during its transition. This mortification, the most painful, occurs through the mediation of a person - the abbot and the elder ( spiritual father). “Give yourself to him as Caleb to Jesus; cut off your will." Cyril is formidable and eloquent when he speaks of obedience, which for him is the highest monastic virtue:
“Whether you are a light, only wake up to the church door in your will, and don’t consider what and what you are doing. If you are a robe, know yourself before the one who receives you in your hand; don’t think to anyone, if you’ll be unstitched on onuchi. Just before the monastery, have your will. Upon perceiving the image, plunge your whole self into subjugation, hide no small self-will in your heart, but do not die in soul, like Ananias.
Obedience is a virtue so high that it makes monks like angels: “All angelic and monastic service is one”; because both of them have renounced their will. Theodosius also tried to include obedience in the monastic charter. But for him, humility was the main virtue, and obedience was only its external and social manifestation. These two virtues are closely linked in all ascetic rules for monks. But it is important to distinguish what the main focus is. Humility is a specifically Christian ideal, a reflection of the kenotic image of Christ. Obedience was also found among the pagans - among the Spartans, Romans, Stoics. As an ascetic tool, it is a means to cut off one's will, while humility is aimed at transforming the heart. Kirill Turovsky has no doubts about understanding religious function obedience: first of all, it is the destruction of the sinful "I". As for humility, he barely mentions it. He even sees an advantage in the monastic rank, because "worldly nobles bow their heads before the monks, as before the saints of God." Such an understanding is very far from the kenotic ideal of monasticism.
That disobedience is the essence of original sin is the general teaching of the Church. But Cyril, in his free allegorical interpretation of the Book of Genesis, expresses this understanding even more emphatically, considering the fruit of the tree of knowledge as spiritual good by itself. The sinfulness of Adam's act consisted in the self-willed service to the Highest: "The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the known sin of the mind and voluntary action to please God." According to his apocryphal interpretation, Adam was placed by God not in Paradise, but in Eden. "Paradise is a holy place, like an altar in a church." But Adam, "before the command of God to the holy, daring, went from Eden to Paradise." Such an understanding seems to exclude mysticism from the Christian life as a daring transgression of established boundaries.
Indeed, Kirill believes that a little spiritual joy is enough for a monk. His attitude towards the Holy Eucharist is quite remarkable. In one of his Eastern parables, Christ offers a monk a cup of wine, but the monk refuses it: his conscience holds him back. “Below, let us crucify Christ, unworthily, approaching communion…” This warning is not balanced by any call to the Eucharistic chalice.
Instead of joy, the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds a monk is fear. Cyril paints this atmosphere using his best allegories gleaned from Old Testament. He says: “You have surrounded yourself more than Mount Sinai with the fire of the fear of God,” taking monastic vows, “so smoke, like this mountain, sighing about your sins ... With this fear, says the prophet, the earth moves, stones are scattered, animals tremble , the mountains are smoking, the luminaries serve servilely. Cyril does not skimp on the threats of hell; he knows how to describe the pain in detail future life, waiting for the monk in case of his falling into "weakness". The whole monastic life consists of obedience, patience and asceticism, and is only slightly illuminated by the transcendental hope that death bestows.
The transcendence of God is so exalted for Cyril that the idea that man is created in the image of God is offensive to him. "No resemblance God's man cannot have." Meeting with the biblical teaching about the image of God in man, he avoids direct interpretation, but emphasizes the dangers of its incorrect, heretical use by the anthropomorphist sect. Undoubtedly, Cyril was a sufficiently profound theologian to reject the dogmas of the Church. But he is clearly uncomfortable when confronted with the humanity of Christ. For him, reflections on the humiliation of Christ are unacceptable, and he could hardly have put them at the basis of his ascetic teaching. The idea of following Christ is foreign to him. Instead, he remains true to himself - the author of theological sermons and prayers of repentance.
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From the book Ascetic Creations the author Ascetic MarkThe memory of the saints of our father Cyril, Bishop of Turov Blessed Cyril was the son of wealthy parents, was born and raised in the city of Turov. Not loving the riches and glory of this perishable world, he studied with special zeal the divine books and in
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From the author's bookASCETIC CREATIONS
