Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1782)

Save yourself in Christ, dear brother.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

The author experiences very special feelings when touching on this topic. After all, my childhood and youth passed in Zadonsk, the last earthly refuge of St. Tikhon. And to this day I come to this small, originally Russian place with special reverence. provincial town, once famous for its spiritual abodes and devotees of holiness.

Zadonsky Bogoroditsky Monastery, founded in 1610-1620. among impenetrable forests by the elders of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery Kirill and Gerasim, after restoration work regains its former splendor and beauty. “Located among the small town of Zadonsk, on the sloping bank of the Don River. Surrounded by shady gardens and forest thickets, the monastery truly represents that quiet corner of silent contemplative life, where the bustle world with its worries and passions is more easily forgotten.” One of the pre-revolutionary authors described the monastery with these lines. This is probably how Saint Tikhon, who arrived in Lent 1769 to Zadonsk after many years of righteous labors, which undermined his health early.

The entire life of this amazing ascetic of holiness is an example of Christian virtue, achieved through harsh labor, and sometimes hardship and sorrow. “In youth there is poverty and need, in courage there are labors and illnesses, in old age there are exploits and illnesses.” Being from a poor family, he only miraculously learned to read and write, and then, among the 200 best students, he was accepted into the seminary. Once, almost freezing in winter on the way due to the lack of warm clothes, but saved by a passing merchant, from his youth dreaming of solitude and distance from the world, the saint, in an outwardly not so significant life, accumulated truly priceless inner wealth, managing to achieve spiritual heights and love to all. Even during his earthly life, he achieved the glory of a great preacher and was generously endowed by God's mercy with such gifts as insight and healing.

Since childhood, I have heard stories about his exploits, the holy “Tikhon’s” spring, which healed many diseases, about the incorruptible relics taken from the temple after the revolution. Despite negative attitude In addition to everything related to religion in those days, every August was marked by the gathering of many people to Zadonsk, preserving the memory of the famous Russian saint. As I remember now, the majority of those who arrived were ordinary people, often poorly dressed, many came (or were coming) from remote places, remote towns and villages. But how strong and fair is the memory of the people, that even two centuries later, unforced and even persecuted by anyone, people continued to flock here every year to pay tribute to the sacred memory of the one who earned sincere love and reverence among the people. On the other hand, how quickly officially exalted heroes and celebrities are sometimes forgotten. Several decades pass, or even less, and the memory of them grows like thorns...

Relatively recently (August 26, 1991) the holy relics of Tikhon of Zadonsk were solemnly returned to Zadonsk. Thousands of people took part in this significant event. A beautiful sunny day, a flower-strewn road to the monastery, a majestic procession towards newfound faith and spirituality... Is it not through the prayers of the saints of God that our souls begin to see the light?! How long have we tried to “extinguish in our souls the feeling of God, the memory of God, the idea of ​​the Divine, the sacred, the gracious, the super-sensually otherworldly; take away the citizen’s need for prayer; every light of spiritual perfection and every ray of holiness" ( AND. Ilyin). And yet the “national deception” failed, and the triumph Christian spirit once again finds its true reality.

Before we begin to describe miraculous healings, let us first become familiar with some aspects of the moral character of St. Tikhon, relating, in particular, to his Trans-Don period of life. All biographers emphasized his exceptional simplicity in everyday life, clothing, and manners. He sold almost all of his rich attire required by his rank (a silk dress, warm and cold cassocks and cassocks with warm fur, etc., the attire required for the rank of bishop, as well as a feather bed with pillows, blankets, a silver pocket watch, etc.), giving the money to the poor. He always dressed simply. “He who lives in idleness constantly sins,” was his favorite saying.

He loved to work in the monastery garden to the best of his ability, mowing the grass and chopping wood himself. Access to the saint was open to everyone. Doing good was his favorite thing, especially if it could be done secretly. The saint’s cell attendant later wrote in his memoirs: “He loved to do charity so much that on the day when he had more poor people coming and when he gave out more money and other things, that evening he was more joyful and cheerful, and if on what day there were few petitioners, or no one at all; that evening was more deplorable.” And the cell attendant also said: “I will boldly say that he, at the call of the saint, had a blind eye and a lame leg: his doors were always open for everyone who came, and everyone (whoever came) found food, drink and peace ready with him.” . St. Tikhon himself loved to care for the sick, feeding them tea with medicinal infusion; comforting, encouraging, praying for them, and soon, as a rule, the desired recovery came. A case is described when one of the inhabitants of the monastery caught a severe cold, fell ill and was already dying. But through the prayer of the saint he quickly recovered. Possessing the gift of insight and foresight, the saint accurately predicted the victory of Russia in the future war with the French, as well as the great flood in St. Petersburg. There is a known case when St. Tikhon approached the little grandson of the old man Rostovtsev and, stroking the boy on the head, suddenly said: “Get ready, Sasha, to the heavenly Jerusalem, get ready, my dear, to the heavenly fatherland.” Three days later, the previously healthy boy died.

Regarding himself, it was revealed to him when his earthly journey would end (up to the day of the week) and that he would be canonized. To the question of how he sees the inner in a person, the saint once answered (to a certain Nikandr Aleksandrovich): “You need to improve your inner eyes, then the outer ones will open. Throw, for example, a handful of wheat into a glass of water, and look - the grains are visible. So our thoughts are visible to the seer.”

The day of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ in 1779 was the last day he left his cells for church. In a night dream, he saw a beautiful crystal building, and someone’s voice asked: “Is it good here?”, to which the saint replied: “Very good,” feeling great joy. “In three years, you too can enter here,” he was told in the same dream, “now go and work.” For another three years, without leaving his cell, the elder will continue his spiritual labors. His earthly sojourn will end by midnight from August 12 to 13, 1783. “His death was so peaceful, as if he had fallen asleep,” his cell attendant would later write. Despite his considerable pension (500 rubles a year) and rich donations, he left behind only 14 rubles 50 kopecks in total cash, and he bequeathed even that to the poor. Nevertheless, he used his funds to help the needy poor, the disadvantaged and the offended. This was a truly holy life, and that is why miraculous healings became possible, some of which are recorded and will be given below.

The first discovery of the saint's incorruptible relics took place in 1845, when construction work was underway on the construction of a new temple designed by the architect Ton. Old temple had to break it. Despite being in a damp grave for 63 years, the relics of St. Tikhon turned out to be incorrupt, which was certified by Archbishop Anthony of Voronezh, Archimandrite Seraphim of Zadonsk and others. But only 16 years later did the official ceremony of opening the incorruptible body and canonization take place. This happened on August 13, 1861. In one of the books dedicated to the saint, the following description of this event appears: “The abundance of God’s grace was visible and tangible to everyone. It often happened to see how several people carried a paralytic, sick or possessed person, some with cramped arms, legs, or damaged other parts of the body, to the shrine of St. Tikhon, and as soon as the sufferer was applied to the saint. relics, - recovery was sent to him from above. Miracles were performed publicly, in the eyes of everyone, and no one could doubt the reality of the healings: they were so obvious and amazing!”

Indeed, there were many miracles that day: “many sick people recovered, some who were blind from birth received their sight, and the dumb received the gift of speech.” According to eyewitnesses: “miracles were performed not only at his tomb, but also everywhere, wherever the saint was called for help...”. “The sick were healed with one promise to venerate Saint Tikhon, or during the service of a requiem mass at his tomb, or by anointing with oil from the lamp that was over his tomb; others were delivered from an unforeseen mortal danger with one prayerful call on the saint for help. Many, before healing, suffered from such serious illnesses that the most skilled doctors recognized them as hopeless for recovery. Seeing their sick then healthy, they declared in writing that their healing could only follow by the grace of God, above all medical benefits.”

Below is only a small part of the truly recorded cases of healing, the description of some of them is abbreviated, others are given verbatim:

Healing from dropsy of nun Kashkina, Kaluga Kazan nunnery, daughter of Major General.

Sofya Dmitrievna Kashkina suffered from this serious illness for 6 years and was healed after visiting Zadonsk and praying to St. Tikhon. The healed woman herself left these notes on this matter: “For six years I was sick with a watery disease that was in my stomach and legs, for which I received a lot of treatment, but did not receive recovery. Seeing that my illness was increasing more and more, I had great zeal to go to Zadonsk, to pray to the saint of God, Bishop. Tikhon. Upon arrival there, through the prayers of the saint and the grace of God (September 1), I received complete healing from a six-year-old water illness, which apparently disappeared within 24 hours (which was witnessed by a Zadonsk resident from the nobility, Tatyana Fedorovna Karpova), and I now, Since that date, I have not felt the slightest swelling or heaviness, by the grace of the Most High Creator and saint of God, Saint Tikhon.”

This case certainly deserves attention; its “miraculousness” is also confirmed by the written testimony of the doctor who treated Ms. Kashkina, which is given below:

“1845, the daughter of a major general, the girl Sofya Dmitrievna Kashkina, was in a sick condition for several years and was treated during all this time by different cities. doctors, invited me to investigate her illness, which I found in the following form: the patient suffered from a clear hardening of the liver, accompanied by a disorder in the digestive and thoracic organs, as a result of which water disease developed in the abdomen and chest, reaching such a stage of development that it threatened life... In such a terrible situation, Mrs. Kashkina went to Zadonsk for the veneration of Saint Tikhon, where she stayed for several days. Upon returning from Zadonsk, Mrs. Kashkina announced to me that at the tomb of St. Tikhon she was honored to receive healing from her illnesses and now feels completely healthy, and indeed, after a thorough medical examination, it was found that the hardening of her liver and respiratory organs were completely destroyed and digestion were found in an ordinary natural state, there were no signs of water disease and in general there was not a trace left of those painful disorders from which she suffered so much and for so long. So, taking into account everything that has been said above, I conclude with full confidence that the healing of Mrs. Kashkina from such severe painful attacks could have followed solely by the grace of God and above all physical and medical laws. That this certificate, as a result of the request of Mrs. Kashkina, was given fairly, in accordance with the rules of medical science and the duty of the oath, I certify with my signature with the application of the state seal of the Kaluga province. Meshovsky district, medical surgeon, court councilor Orlinsky, November 1847, 14 days.”

So, judging by the testimony of Dr. Orlinsky, Ms. Kashkina apparently suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, complicated by ascites. Doctors know well how serious the prognosis of this disease is. All the more striking is the fact of the above miraculous healing, reflected in the case of a specially created commission on behalf of St. Synod.

Healing from demonic possession. Modern medicine regards these patients as suffering from hysteria, but does not provide convincing explanations for some of the features of the course of the disease and the specificity of a number of characteristic points. So, it is completely unclear why these people begin to experience such hostility towards everything that concerns Christian shrines (they are turned away from church, cannot stand divine services, prayers, are sometimes unable to make the sign of the cross, etc.).

1. Below is only one description of the miraculous healing from demonic possession, identified in the case of the commission of St. Synod No. 7. Despite the brevity of the description, most of the characteristic points inherent in demonic possession are visible in the text.

   “The city of Yelets merchant wife Pelageya Gavrilov was healthy before her marriage; but after her marriage, when she was 16 years old, she soon began to be possessed, and especially when she spoke about something holy, or when she saw something related to clergyman or subject; moreover, she fell into unconsciousness and, according to the assurance of others, moreover, it happened, she screamed at that time in different voices and tormented herself with her hands; so two or three strong man they could barely hold her. After these attacks, which lasted for two hours, relaxation usually followed. She was in such a painful situation for two years; in 1835, her relatives took her to Voronezh, but the seizures continued, then, when a memorial service for St. Tikhon was celebrated in Zadonsk and she received Holy Communion. Sacraments, the seizures stopped and have not resumed to this day.”

Healing from severe bleeding.“Living in Zadonsk, the wife of the official Martynov, during pregnancy she began to continuously suffer from bleeding, from which she became so weak that she could not walk around the room without help and prematurely gave birth to a dead child. After giving birth, this disease was also accompanied by constant swelling of the legs and fever in the mouth. The sick woman turned to the saint with prayer and after many prayers at home, finally in October she went to the monastery church and there she prayed to him fervently, after which she fell asleep and had a dream in which some monk told her to pray more to Saint Tikhon and that he would help her, when she woke up she felt completely healthy.”

Healing from severe paralysis.“The ryassophore novice of the Zadonsk monastery Cassian, formerly called Ivan Solovyov, a former peasant of the Tula landowner, Efremov district, village of Alekseevka, lieutenant Anna Mikhailovna Leontyeva, on January 11, 1851, was struck by paralysis so that for three years he was without memory, mute, insanity and did not control his right hand. Six weeks after the onset of the illness, control of the hand returned, but dumbness remained and mental capacity upset; The doctor declared this condition incurable.” A miraculous healing occurred in Zadonsk the same year, on June 6th. After drinking a little oil in front of the tomb of St. Tikhon, the patient recovered.

Healing children. The peasant boy, “Vasily Goloshubov, could not say anything until he was 5 years old, although he listened. His parents wanted to teach him to say: “Lord, have mercy,” but were unsuccessful. When they made a vow to go to Zadonsk and venerate the tomb of the saint of God, the boy began to pronounce these words: when they fulfilled their vow, they came to the tomb and prayed to St. Tikhon, they put the boy to the coffin, then he began to say everything, and the parents glorified God.”

Healing from cholera. This miraculous healing from such a terrible disease occurred through the prayer of the wife of the merchant of the 3rd guild Ardalion Mikhailov Lyapin, when he was already in a state of crisis. It is not possible to explain the healing by a coincidence (if it really was cholera, which was rampant at that time).

In addition to the above cases, the monastery book mentions healings from inflammatory diseases, eye diseases, hemorrhoids, growths in the area of ​​the right nostril, hysterical seizures and other diseases.

Respect, love and veneration of St. Tikhon was so great in Russia that, for example, in one place they even erected a monument to him (on the estate of the actual Privy Councilor I.V. Lopukhin near Moscow). The monument depicted a burning candle as a symbol of hot and pure love St. Tikhon to God. Even now, people’s love for the saints of God, the saints and righteous people of our land will not become scarce.

PRAYER TO ST. TIKHON

He became one of the most prominent Orthodox religious figures and theologians who lived in the 18th century and were canonized as saints and wonderworkers of the Russian Church. Bishop of Voronezh and Yelets, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, lived a complex and at the same time wonderful life, full of spiritual fruits, for which he never tired of thanking the Lord. The saint lived very modestly, ate meager food and was not afraid of heavy things. physical labor, however, this is not at all what he became famous for. His love for the Lord was so great that he devoted almost his entire life to serving God’s Church on earth.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk: life

The future bishop, while in the world Timofey Savelyevich Sokolov, was born in 1724 in the village of Korotsko, Novgorod province. The family was very poor; father Savely Kirillov was a sexton. Timofey was given a new surname at the Novgorod seminary. He did not remember his father, since he died very early. The mother left six children in her arms - four sons and two daughters. The elder brother, like his father, became a sexton, and the middle brother was taken into the army. There were no funds, and therefore the whole family lived practically from hand to mouth. It happened, when there was absolutely nothing to eat in the house, Timka spent the whole day harrowing a rich man’s arable land for a piece of bread.

Coachman

However, a childless but wealthy coachman began to visit them often. He fell in love with Timka as if he were his own and begged his mother to give him up in order to raise him as a son and at the end of his life to sign over his property to him. Mother was very sorry for Timofey, but extreme poverty and hunger forced her to agree. One day she took her son by the hand and went to the coachman. At that time, the elder brother was not at home, but when he returned, having learned from his sister that mother and Timka had gone to the coachman, he rushed as hard as he could to catch up with them. And then, having overtaken them, he knelt before his mother and began to beg her not to give Timka to the coachman. He said that it would be better for him to go around the world on his own, but he would try to teach him to read and write, and then he could be employed as a sexton or sexton. Mother agreed, and they all returned home.

Education

In 1738, Timka’s mother brought her to enter the Novgorod Theological School. That same year, his mother died, and Timofey was left an orphan. At the request of his brother, the clerk in Novgorod, he was enrolled in the Novgorod theological school operating at the bishop's house, which in 1740 was renamed the theological seminary. The boy Sokolov, as one of the best students, was immediately enrolled and transferred to government custody. And then he began to receive free bread and boiling water. He ate half the bread, sold the other half and bought candles to read spiritual books. The children of rich merchants often laughed at him, for example, they would find the fireplaces of his bast shoes and wave them over him instead of a censer with the words: “We magnify you, holy saint!”

He studied at the seminary for 14 years and graduated in 1754. The whole point is that there were not enough teachers at the seminary. After studying rhetoric, theology and philosophy for four years and grammar for two years, the future Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk became a teacher of Greek language and theology.

tonsure and new appointments

In the spring of April 10, 1758, Timothy was tonsured a monk with the name Tikhon by Archimandrite of the Anthony Monastery Parthenius (Sopkovsky). Inok was then 34 years old. And then he becomes a philosophy teacher at the Novgorod Seminary.

On January 18, 1759, he was appointed archimandrite of the Tver Zheltikov Assumption Monastery, and in the same year he received the post of rector of the Tver Theological Seminary and taught theology. And in addition to all this, he is determined to be present in the spiritual consistory.

Saint Tikhon of Voronezh of Zadonsk: bishopric

Enough interesting event occurred before he was consecrated on May 13, 1761 as Bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga. When a vicar was needed for the Novgorod diocese, seven candidates were selected for this position, including Archimandrite Tikhon.

The day of Great Easter arrived, on which a candidate for the position was to be determined. Around the same time, Archimandrite Tikhon, together with His Eminence Bishop Athanasius, served the Easter Liturgy in the Tver Cathedral. During the Cherubic Song, the bishop was at the altar and removed the particles; Archimandrite Tikhon, like other clergy, approached him with the usual petition: “Remember me, holy master.” And suddenly he heard the answer of Bishop Athanasius: “May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom,” and then he immediately stopped short, adding with a smile: “God grant you to be a bishop.”

In St. Petersburg at this time, lots were cast three times, and each time it came up with the name of Tikhon. However, he did not remain in this position for long, until 1762, and then he was transferred to preside over the Synodal Office. Then Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk headed the Voronezh department. Bishop Ionniky (Pavlutsky) of Voronezh and Yelets had already died by this time.

Voronezh department

Bishop Tikhon was entrusted with the management of the Voronezh diocese, which also included Kursk, Oryol, Tambov, and at that time all of this was in need of serious transformation. And since the free steppes of the Don at the end of the 17th century became a place of refuge from government persecution of sectarians and Old Believers, it was very difficult for the saint to fight the mood of the then church life. Obstacles to his good intentions were arranged by individuals from both the secular authorities and the clergy themselves.

But it was important for Bishop Tikhon to prepare a worthy legacy of smart and educated shepherds, so he introduced strict statutory worship and fulfillment of requirements. Under his leadership, schools were established for poor children of clergy and for the clergy themselves. He looked for worthy people for spiritual positions; he cared not only about his flock, but also about the improvement and splendor of churches.

Manuals and instructions

In the first year of service in Voronezh diocese he writes a short teaching for priests entitled “On the Seven Holy Mysteries,” where he describes the true concepts of the sacraments performed. Another year later, he created a manual on how spiritual fathers should act in confession and how to awaken in them feelings of sincere repentance, and taught others who lament their sins in this confession to be comforted by God’s mercy. In his diocese, Saint Tikhon was the first to prohibit corporal punishment for clergy, which was then common practice, and he also defended his own before the authorities.

Like a real priest, he took care of the education of pastors, so two theological schools were opened in Yelets and Ostrogozhsk, and in 1765 he converted the Voronezh Slavic theological school into a theological seminary and invited teachers from Kyiv and Kharkov. For the moral education of seminary students, he again created special instructions.

Piety and Care

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk was depressed by the unusable state of the Voronezh monasteries and therefore wrote 15 articles of exhortation to the monks. He also wrote special messages for the people to be read by the priests before their flock. Thus, the saint fought against the pagan echoes of the celebration of Yarila and extravagant drunkenness on the day of Maslenitsa.

Bishop Tikhon always strived for a solitary monastic life, but endless diocesan affairs made it impossible to achieve this. He constantly took up arms against immoral amusements, stinginess, love of money, luxury, theft and lack of love for his neighbor and almost never rested. Frequent troubles and difficulties undermined his health; he developed nervous and heart disorders and frequent colds with complications.

Life and hardships

Vladyka lived in a very simple and poor environment, slept on straw and covered himself with a sheepskin coat. Because of such humility, church ministers often laughed at him. But he had a saying: “Forgiveness is always better than revenge.” Once the holy fool Kamenev slapped him in the face with the words: “Don’t be arrogant!”, and he took such an unexpected attack with gratitude to God and even began to feed him daily. In general, he endured all insults and sorrows with joy and thanked God for everything that he sends it to him.

Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh, Zadonsk miracle worker was always lenient towards others, but very strict with himself. Once during Great Lent, he went into the cell of his friend Schemamonk Mitrofan, who was sitting at the table with a resident of Yeletsk, Kozma Ignatievich, and they had fish on the table. They were immediately embarrassed, but the saint said that love for one’s neighbor is higher than fasting, and therefore, so that they would not worry, he himself tasted fish soup with them. He loved the common people, consoled them and gave all his money to the poor. cash and offerings.

Achieving Sainthood

Such his love and feats of self-denial elevated the saint to the contemplation of Heaven and a vision of the future. In 1778, he saw in a subtle dream how the Mother of God stood on the clouds, surrounded by the apostles Peter and Paul, and Saint Tikhon himself knelt before her and began to ask for mercy to the world. But the Apostle Paul made such speeches that it was immediately clear that the world would face difficult trials. The saint then woke up in tears.

The next year, Saint Tikhon again saw the Mother of God with the holy fathers in a white robe. And again he fell on his knees before Her, began to ask for one of his loved ones, and the Holy Mother of God said that she would do it to him at his request.

Many fateful events for Russia were revealed to Saint Tikhon of Voronezh, Zadonsk Wonderworker. In particular, he predicted Russia's victory in the war with Napoleon in 1812.

Prediction

Towards the end of his life, he began to pray that the Lord would tell him the time of his death. And a voice came to him at dawn: “On the day of the week.” In the same year, he saw a luminous beam, and there were magnificent chambers on it; he wanted to enter the door, but he was told that he would only be able to do this in three years, but he had to work hard. After such a vision, Saint Tikhon retired to his cell and rarely received his friends. Clothes and a coffin were prepared for him, which stood in the closet; Father Tikhon often came to him to cry.

Before his death, in a subtle dream, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk saw how a familiar priest through the Royal doors of the altar carried a baby, whom the saint kissed on the right cheek, and then he hit him on the left. In the morning, Saint Tikhon felt very bad, his cheek and left leg were numb, his hand began to shake. But he accepted his illness with joy. And then, just before his death, he had a dream in which a staircase to heaven appeared in front of him, which he was trying to climb, and he couldn’t do anything because of weakness, then the people began to help, support and put him closer to the clouds. He told his dream to his friend, the monk Kozma, and together they realized that the death of the saint was near.

Peaceful demise

Saint Tikhon retired on December 17, 1767. He was allowed to live where he wished, and therefore he first settled in the Tolshevsky Transfiguration Monastery (40 km from Voronezh). However, there was a swampy area, this climate was not good for the health of the saint, then he moved to and lived there until the end of his life.

During his infirmities, he constantly received Holy Communion; he was soon told from above that he would present himself before the Lord on Sunday, August 13, 1783. At this time he was 59 years old.

In the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk found his eternal rest; his holy relics are still in the Vladimir Cathedral today.

His canonization took place on August 13, 1861 during the reign of Alexander II. Miracles began to happen almost immediately at the saint’s grave.

It is worth noting right away that the Church of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk and Ignatius the God-Bearer are part of the entire church town of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in the city of Zadonsk, Voronezh region.

According to the stories of old-timers, the hierodeacon of the Mother of God Monastery, Father Victor, in 1943 rented an apartment from a local resident, E. V. Semenova, who had stored it in her attic for more than ten years. ancient icon St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, and it became the only saved icon from the Vladimir Cathedral during the reign of the atheistic Soviet regime. It is also called the “coffin” image of St. Tikhon; it depicts him in full height and since the glorification of his name has stood behind the shrine of the saint’s relics. There she still remains.

Conclusion

Prayers and Akathist to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk are especially read so that he can heal from mental illnesses - insanity, depression, demonic possession and alcoholism.

An interesting fact is that St. Tikhon in the work “Demons” by F. M. Dostoevsky became the prototype of the literary hero - Elder Tikhon - which the writer himself pointed out, and the monastery was the real basis of the artistic scope of the novel.

Solemn holiday services in memory of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk are held on July 19 and August 13.

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk is one of the largest theologians of the Russian Church, and in a truly patristic sense - theology from his own experience. Tikhon Zadonsky had to live in the 18th century - the century of atheism par excellence, where faith was understood as an ethnographic feature of the common people. In Russia, this was complicated by the deep decline of the Church after Peter's reforms. Averintsev called Tikhon Zadonsky “the main Russian Christologist,” and indeed the figure of the Savior, especially the suffering one, occupies a central place in the works of Tikhon Zadonsky. Another characteristic feature of his work is fear for the future of Christianity, an understanding of atheism not just as a sin, but as something fundamental in the destinies of Europe. Dostoevsky was fascinated by his work: Elder Zosima (especially his theology) was copied, often verbatim, from Tikhon of Zadonsk, and not from Optintsev, as is often thought.

Childhood and study.

The future saint was born in 1724 into the family of the poorest clergyman in the village of Korotsk (Valdai district). In the world his name was Timofey Savelyevich Kirillov. Upon entering the Theological School, according to the custom of that time, the surname was changed: he began to sign himself Sokolovsky or Sokolov.

The father died early and the mother was left with six children: Timofey had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. The family remained in such poverty that one day the mother decided to give youngest son to a rich coachman who wanted to adopt him. Her eldest son, Peter, who took his father's place as a clerk, begged her not to do this. "We'll teach Tim to read,- he said, - and he will be a sexton somewhere!” But the years passed, and Timofey often worked for the peasants all day for one piece of black bread.

In 1735, a decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna was issued, ordering that all dropout children of representatives of the clergy be recruited as soldiers. This prompted his relatives to send Timofey to the Novgorod Theological School. His mother, already ill, took him there, and soon died in Novgorod. Thanks to his older brother Peter, who served as a sexton in Novgorod and took him into his custody, in 1738 Timofey was enrolled in the school. Two years later, he was accepted into the newly established Theological Seminary, one of 200 candidates, from total number 1000, as the most capable of science, at public expense. From that time on, he began to receive free bread and boiling water. “It used to be that when I received bread, I would keep half for myself, and sell the other and buy a candle, with which I would sit at the stove and read a book. My comrades, the children of rich fathers, will find the furnaces of my bast shoes and begin to laugh at me and wave their bast shoes at me, saying: “We magnify you, holy saint!”

Timothy studied at the seminary for almost 14 years, since there was an acute shortage of teachers. Despite all the difficulties, Timothy was one of the best students at the seminary. He excelled so much in Greek that he began teaching it at the same seminary without even graduating! After graduation, he was a teacher of rhetoric and philosophy for some time. But Timothy did not want to marry and get a position as a priest, no matter how much his family tried to persuade him.

He later said that two incidents especially turned his mind and will. One day, standing on the monastery bell tower, he touched the railing, and it fell from a great height, so that he barely had time to lean back. The danger he experienced gave him a vivid feeling of the proximity of death and the perishability of everything momentary. Another time, he experienced the feeling of God’s closeness one night. I went out to the porch to freshen up a little. “Suddenly the heavens opened up,- he said, - and I saw such a light that it is impossible to say with a mortal tongue and to grasp with the mind. It was for a short time, and the heavens stood in their form. From this wonderful vision I developed a more ardent desire for a solitary life...”

Monasticism and ordination to the episcopate.

In 1758 he was tonsured a monk with the name Tikhon. The following year he was appointed rector of the Tver Seminary, where he lectured on moral theology. Moreover, he read them in Russian, and not in Latin, as was customary before him. In addition to students, many strangers came to his lectures. But a new, even higher field awaited him...

In 1761, on Easter Day, in St. Petersburg, members of the Holy Synod elected a bishop to Novgorod. One of seven candidates had to be chosen by lot. The Smolensk bishop proposed to also attribute the name of the Tver rector Tikhon. The first present of the Synod said: "Still young...", who wanted to make Tikhon archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, but wrote down his name. The lot was cast three times and each time Tikhon's lot fell out. “That’s right, God wants him to be a bishop.”- said the First Present. On the same day of Tver, His Eminence Athanasius, against his will, remembered him, still an archimandrite, on the Cherubim Song as a bishop: “ May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom.”, - and only then, noticing his slip of the tongue, he added with a smile: “God grant you to be a bishop.”

In great excitement, Bishop Tikhon entered Novgorod, the city in which he spent his youth. There he found his older sister living in great poverty. He received her with brotherly love, wanted to take care of her, but she soon died. The saint performed the funeral service for her, and in the grave the sister smiled at him. In Novgorod her grave was revered.

Voronezh department.

In 1763 he was transferred to the Voronezh department. The Voronezh diocese, from Orel to the Black Sea, at that time was one of the most difficult for church administration and was considered "wild".

Catherine's reign began with the confiscation of church estates into the treasury. Monasteries and bishops' houses were assigned extremely meager maintenance, which is why they fell into disrepair. The bishop's house in Voronezh completely collapsed, the cathedral was destroyed, the broken bells did not ring. Catherine's government was more tolerant of schismatics and sectarians. The schismatics were freed from the double per capita salary, churches of the same faith began to emerge and schismatic centers were formed in Moscow. The sects of the Doukhobors, Molokans, Khlysty, and Skoptsy flourished in Ukraine. There were many schismatics in the Voronezh diocese. There were also a lot of Cossacks and fugitives there. The people are all rowdy and dissolute. The French freethinking ideas of Voltaire and the encyclopedists were widespread among the upper classes. Russian society was little educated and picked up fashion ideas without criticism and followed them blindly, sometimes to the point of caricature. Blasphemy and stupid antics against the Church were considered a sign of an educated, progressive person. Anyone who did not preach atheism was considered an ossified fanatic and a hypocrite. Even on the way to Voronezh, the saint felt very bad; and having arrived and seeing confusion and impoverishment, he asked the Holy Synod to retire him. The Synod did not respect this request, and the saint meekly bore his cross.

He spent only 4 years and 7 months at the Voronezh department, but his activity as an administrator, teacher and good shepherd was great. He traveled around a huge diocese, almost all covered with dense forests or steppe, often just on horseback. First of all, he set about training the clergy, who were uneducated and careless to the extreme. It’s hard to believe that the priests not only didn’t know the service, but didn’t even know how to read properly and didn’t have the Gospel! The saint immediately ordered that, after checking, those who did not know the services and readings should be sent to him. He ordered everyone to have in their hands New Testament and read it with reverence and diligence.

He preached a lot, including especially for the clergy, calling for this purpose teachers from the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, publishing books and sending them to the district towns of the diocese. Vladyka constantly participated in the education of future archpastors, opening Slavic schools in all cities, and then establishing two theological schools in Ostrogozhsk and Yelets. In 1765, through his works, the Voronezh Slavic-Latin school was transformed into a theological seminary. At the same time, the bishop was the first to prohibit corporal punishment of clergy in his diocese.

In the very first year of his priestly ministry in Voronezh, Bishop Tikhon wrote a short sermon "On the Seven Holy Mysteries." Then came the work “Addition to the priestly office of the mystery of holy repentance.” This work is of particular interest because in it the saint teaches two approaches to constructing a confession for the laity: feeling a person’s deep repentance and contrition for his sins, the clergyman must encourage and console him, reminding him of God’s mercy and forgiveness in order to prevent the penetration of despondency in his heart. Otherwise, the priest needs, on the contrary, to remind the person of judgment, of posthumous reward, in order to awaken in him regret for sins.

He taught the people to honor God's temple and priests, and from the rich and noble he demanded mercy towards the poor. And morals began to soften. The saint called public festivities, immodest games, and drunken fun on holidays a fire that devastates souls.

In menacing sermons he denounced the excesses of Maslenitsa and especially the pagan holiday “Yarilo”. This holiday began on Wednesday after Trinity and lasted until Tuesday of Peter's Lent. On Wednesday, from early morning, people from Voronezh and surrounding villages walked to the square outside the Moscow Gate, where fair booths with various baits were set up. A young man in a paper cap, decorated with bells, ribbons and flowers, with a whitened and rouged face, portrayed Yarilo. He danced a frantic dance, and behind him a drunken crowd danced and raged. All this was accompanied by fights and swearing. And then one day - it was May 30, 1765 - in the midst of the ugliness, the saint unexpectedly appeared on the square and, menacingly denouncing the “stinking” holiday, threatened with excommunication. He spoke with such prophetic power and fiery persuasiveness that in an instant, right there, in front of the saint’s eyes, the crowd tore the booths and shops to pieces and sedately went home. The following Sunday, the saint preached a denunciatory sermon in the cathedral, during which the entire church groaned and sobbed loudly. And after that many people came to the Lord in his Vacation home and, on their knees, repented with tears. The Yarile holiday was never repeated.

For poor and needy people to St. Tikhon always had free access. He called the poor (according to Chrysostom) Christ’s and his brethren. The people loved their shepherd. They said about him: “We must obey him, otherwise he will complain to God.”

At rest

Meanwhile, the intense labors upset the health of Saint Tikhon. He asked to be dismissed from his position and spent the last 16 years (1767-1783) of his life in retirement in the Zadonsky Monastery.

General view of the Tikhonovsky male monastery. Lithograph from 1915

All of his time, with the exception of 4-5 hours of rest, was devoted to prayer, reading the word of God, doing charity work and composing soul-helping essays. Every day he came to the temple. At home, he often fell to his knees and, shedding tears, like the worst sinner, cried out: “Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy!" Without fail, every day he read several chapters from Holy Scripture(especially the prophet Isaiah), and I never went on the road without a small Psalter. His entire 400-ruble pension went to charity, and everything he received as a gift from friends went there. Often, in simple monastic clothes, he went to the nearest city (Elets) and visited prisoners in the local prison. He consoled them, encouraged them to repent and then gave them alms. He himself was extremely non-covetous, living among the simplest and poorest surroundings. Sitting down at a meager table, he often thought about the poor who did not have food like him and began to reproach himself for the fact that, in his opinion, he had worked little for the Church. Here bitter tears began to flow from his eyes.

The saint's character was hot-tempered, irritable and prone to arrogance. He had to work hard to overcome these qualities in himself. He fervently cried out to the Lord God for help and began to excel in meekness and gentleness. When he heard, passing by, how the monastery servants or the abbot sometimes mocked him, he said to himself: “This is how God pleases, and I am worthy of this for my sins”.

One day he was sitting on the porch of his cell and was tormented by thoughts of conceit. Suddenly the holy fool Kamenev, surrounded by a crowd of boys, unexpectedly ran up to him and hit him on the cheek, whispering in his ear: “Don’t be arrogant!” And a wonderful thing, the saint immediately felt how the demon of arrogance retreated from him. In gratitude for this, Saint Tikhon decided to give the holy fool three kopecks daily.

Another time, in the house of an acquaintance, he entered into a conversation with a Voltairian nobleman and meekly, but so strongly refuted the atheist in everything that the proud man could not stand it and, forgetting himself, hit the saint on the cheek. Saint Tikhon threw himself at his feet and began to ask for forgiveness for causing him irritation. This humility of the saint had such an effect on the daring insulter that he turned to Orthodox faith and then became a good Christian.

But the most difficult temptation for the saint was unaccountable melancholy and despondency. At such moments, it seems that the Lord retreats from a person, that everything is plunged into impenetrable darkness, that the heart turns to stone, and prayer stops. There is a feeling that the Lord does not hear, that the Lord turns away His Face. Such a graceless state is unbearably painful, so that monks in such periods move from one monastery to another, and often completely abandon the monastic feat. The saint struggled with bouts of despondency by various means. Or he worked physically, digging beds, chopping wood, mowing grass, or leaving the monastery, or working hard on his compositions, or singing psalms. Often it helped in such moments of grief to communicate with friends whom he visited for a long time, sometimes for three months or more. The friends who dispersed the clouds of Saint Tikhon’s spiritual sadness were Schemamonk Mitrofan, the Yelets merchant Kuzma Ignatievich and Elder Theophan, whom the saint called “Theophan, my joy.” The unwise, kind and naive old man often consoled Saint Tikhon with his childish clarity and simplicity of conversation. But sometimes the despondency was excessive.

One day, despondency fell upon the saint, reaching the point of despair; this happened in the 6th week of Great Lent. For eight days he did not leave his cell, did not take food or drink. Finally I wrote to Kuzma to come immediately. He was alarmed and, despite the spring thaw and high water, he arrived immediately. Both the love of a friend, who responded to the call at the risk of his life, and the conversation with him completely calmed the saint. And then an incident occurred that all the biographers of Saint Tikhon mention: he unexpectedly entered Father Mitrofan’s cell and found him and Kuzma Ignatievich at dinner. Both were extremely embarrassed, since they ate fish soup and fish aspic during the Lenten time, which was not prescribed by the rules. The saint not only reassured them with the words “Love is higher than fasting,” but also tasted the fish soup himself, which moved them to tears.

In retirement, Saint Tikhon wrote his best spiritual works. The fruit of his reflections on nature and people, which Saint Tikhon completed in retirement, were “Spiritual Treasure, Gathered from the World” (1770) And “On True Christianity” (1776).

Saint Tikhon carefully concealed his grace-filled gifts of insight and miracle-working. He could clearly see the thoughts of his interlocutor, predicted the flood of 1777 in St. Petersburg, and in 1778, the year of the birth of Emperor Alexander I, predicted many events of his reign and, in particular, that Russia would be saved, and the Invader (Napoleon) would die.

Demise

Saint Tikhon devoted the last years of his life to prayer and almost complete solitude, preparing for death. Three years before his death, he prayed every day: “Tell me, Lord, my death.” And a quiet voice at dawn said: "On the day of the week." After this he was told in a dream: "Work hard for three more years".

The saint had clothes and a coffin prepared for his death: he often came to cry over his coffin, which stood hidden from people in a closet: “This is what man has brought himself to: being created by God immaculate and immortal, like cattle burrowing into the ground!”

Shortly before his death, he saw in a dream a high ladder that he had to climb and many people following him and supporting him. He realized that this ladder marked his path to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the people were those who listened to him and would remember him.

The saint died on Sunday, as was announced to him, at the 59th year of his life August 13, 1783. “His death was so calm that I seemed to fall asleep.” The funeral service was performed by his close friend, Bishop Tikhon (Malinin) of Voronezh. Saint Tikhon was buried in the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.

Zadonsky Bogoroditsky Monastery, now called the Nativity of the Theotokos Diocesan Monastery, was founded in early XVII century. Two pious elders-schemamonks of the Sretensky Moscow Monastery, Kirill and Gerasim, arrived on the banks of the Don River with the Vladimir Icon Mother of God and founded a monastery here. The first temple they built in 1630 was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is where the history of the monastery begins, which later acquired the glory of Russian Jerusalem.

Zadonsk Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery, Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

A few years later, Saint Tikhon appeared in a dream to Schemamonk Mitrofan and said to him: "God wants to glorify me". The incorrupt relics of St. Tikhon were found in 1845, and on August 12, 1861 he was canonized. During the years of Soviet power, the holy relics of Tikhon of Zadonsk were confiscated. Their second acquisition took place in 1991. Nowadays the relics of the saint rest in the Bogoroditsky monastery in the city of Zadonsk, Lipetsk region.

Based on materials from the Russian Seven portal (

More than once in his writings, Saint Tikhon emphasized the importance of victory over oneself, calling precisely this victory the true happiness of a Christian. “Pride is overcome by humility, anger by meekness and patience, hatred by love”... If you remember this high goal, it becomes clear how the saint managed to rejoice in numerous disasters - after all, they helped him see the evil that lies in his heart, and therefore overcome it . We also read from Dostoevsky the words of Elder Zosima: “Life will bring you many misfortunes, but they will make you happy...”

There is no place where God is not present, and it is useful to remember this. On the one hand, so that it would be a shame to sin, on the other hand, so as not to seek approval from anyone but Him: “He is in every place, but is not confined by a place: He is with me and with you, and with every person. Although we do not see Him as an invisible spirit, we often feel Him present in our sorrows, helping in temptations, comforting in sorrows, awakening spiritual and holy contritions, desires, movements and thoughts, revealing sins in our conscience, sending us sorrows for our benefit, comforting the repentant and mourning. Man does everything he does before Him, speaks before Him, thinks before Him - good or evil.”

Sin is terrible, dark and... stupid. After all, if you look at it with clear eyes, you will see how you gain nothing by doing it: “Every person sins and thereby punishes himself! His sin itself is his execution. He offends another - and is offended himself, offends - and is offended, embitters - and becomes embittered, beats - and is beaten, kills - and is killed, deprives - and is deprived of, slanderes - and is slandered, condemns - and is condemned, blasphemes - and is blasphemed, scolds - and is mocked, deceives - and is seduced, deceives - and is deceived, humiliates - and is humiliated, laughs - and is ridiculed. In a word, no matter what evil he does to his neighbor, he does greater evil to himself. So the sinner fills himself with the measure that he measures for his neighbor in abundance!”
“To sin is a human thing, but to persist in sin is a devilish thing,”- wrote Tikhon of Zadonsky, giving hope to the repentant and frightening sinners.

Bosses are a topic that is both simple and complex, open and delicate at the same time. It is difficult for a boss, but it is necessary to be a real Christian, conquering his passions. “It is bad and unthinkable to command people, but to be dominated by passions,”- writes the saint. The boss needs reason and a good conscience so as not to be like a blind man, without a path, and to create, and not ruin, society. “Honor changes human character, but rarely for the better. Many would be saints if they were not in honor. Think about this, Christian, and do not take on a burden beyond your strength.” Tikhon Zadonsky calls the covetous people the biggest pests of society, saying that they are more terrible than foreign enemies. “The duty of leaders is to save, not to destroy.”

Boss or non-boss, it’s not easy for everyone to see themselves, to find and not be afraid to look into the depths of their conscience. Especially now, when many theories are intertwined without any system in a person’s head, and he knows how to look at everything from ten angles. Saint Tikhon is here, like many holy fathers, for his simplicity. And to make it simple, he gives a clear metaphor: “Just as those who look at a valley from a high mountain often do not see the ditches, pits, and sewage flowing through them, so it happens with the highly intelligent. They, looking down on themselves, see only their surface, and do not see the disgusting impurities of their hearts, often secret, but no less ugly and vile.”

The saint advises those who have severe temptations to rejoice, because God will not allow a person to be tempted beyond his strength. If temptations increase, this may mean that a person is growing stronger spiritually and can take on more. This can mean God's attention and His love. “The master hits a crystal or glass vessel lightly so that it does not break, but he hits silver and copper ones firmly; So the weak are given an easy temptation, but the strong are allowed the most grievous temptation.”

It seems that both troubles and happiness, according to St. Tikhon, are a sign of God’s love for man. And if a person loves Him in return, then he loves everything that the Lord loved. And that means every person. “This is true love- to love without any selfishness and do good without hope of reward,”- writes Tikhon Zadonsky. And he adds about joy: “A clear sign of God’s love is heartfelt joy in God. For what we love, we rejoice in. Yes and God's love cannot be without joy." It is not for nothing that people pray to this bright and loving shepherd in despondency and for a cure for depression, asking him to teach a person to rejoice in God.

Troparion, tone 8
From my youth I loved ece Christ, blessed one, you were an image in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity and humility; In the same way, and having taken up residence in the Heavenly monasteries, where you stand before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, pray to Saint Tikhon for our souls to be saved.

Another troparion, tone 4
A teacher of Orthodoxy, a teacher of piety, a preacher of repentance, a zealot of Chrysostom, a good shepherd, new Russia O luminary and wonderworker, thou hast provided for the good of thy flock, and thou hast taught us all with thy writings; decorated with the same crown of incorruption from the Chief Shepherd, pray to Him to save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 8
The successor of the apostles, the adornment of the saints, the teacher of the Orthodox Church, the Lady of all, pray to grant greater peace to the universe and great mercy to our souls.

Saint TIKHON OF ZADONSKY, wonderworker (†1783)

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk is one of the largest theologians of the Russian Church, and in a truly patristic sense - theology from his own experience. Tikhon Zadonsky had to live in the 18th century - the century of atheism par excellence, where faith was understood as an ethnographic feature of the common people. In Russia, this was complicated by the deep decline of the Church after Peter's reforms. Averintsev called Tikhon Zadonsky “the main Russian Christologist,” and indeed the figure of the Savior, especially the suffering one, occupies a central place in the works of Tikhon Zadonsky. Another characteristic feature of his work is fear for the future of Christianity, an understanding of atheism not just as a sin, but as something fundamental in the destinies of Europe. Dostoevsky was fascinated by his work: Elder Zosima (especially his theology) was copied, often verbatim, from Tikhon of Zadonsk, and not from Optintsev, as is often thought.

Childhood and study.

The future saint was born in 1724 into the family of the poorest clergyman in the village of Korotsk (Valdai district). In the world his name was Timofey Savelyevich Kirillov. Upon entering the Theological School, according to the custom of that time, the surname was changed: he began to sign himself Sokolovsky or Sokolov.

The father died early and the mother was left with six children: Timofey had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. The family remained in such poverty that one day the mother decided to give her youngest son to a rich coachman who wanted to adopt him. Her eldest son, Peter, who took his father's place as a clerk, begged her not to do this. "We'll teach Tim to read,- he said, - and he will be a sexton somewhere!” But the years passed, and Timofey often worked for the peasants all day for one piece of black bread.

In 1735, a decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna was issued, ordering that all dropout children of representatives of the clergy be recruited as soldiers. This prompted his relatives to send Timofey to the Novgorod Theological School. His mother, already ill, took him there, and soon died in Novgorod. Thanks to his older brother Peter, who served as a sexton in Novgorod and took him into his custody, in 1738 Timofey was enrolled in the school. Two years later, he was admitted to the newly established Theological Seminary, one of 200 candidates, out of a total of 1000, as the most capable of science, at public expense. From that time on, he began to receive free bread and boiling water. “It used to be that when I received bread, I would keep half for myself, and sell the other and buy a candle, with which I would sit at the stove and read a book. My comrades, the children of rich fathers, will find the furnaces of my bast shoes and begin to laugh at me and wave their bast shoes at me, saying: “We magnify you, holy saint!”

Timothy studied at the seminary for almost 14 years, since there was an acute shortage of teachers. Despite all the difficulties, Timothy was one of the best students at the seminary. He excelled so much in Greek that he began teaching it at the same seminary without even graduating! After graduation, he was a teacher of rhetoric and philosophy for some time. But Timothy did not want to marry and get a position as a priest, no matter how much his family tried to persuade him.

He later said that two incidents especially turned his mind and will. One day, standing on the monastery bell tower, he touched the railing, and it fell from a great height, so that he barely had time to lean back. The danger he experienced gave him a vivid feeling of the proximity of death and the perishability of everything momentary. Another time, he experienced the feeling of God’s closeness one night. I went out to the porch to freshen up a little. “Suddenly the heavens opened up,- he said - and I saw such a light that it is impossible to say with a mortal tongue and to grasp with the mind. It was for a short time, and the heavens stood in their form. From this wonderful vision I developed a more ardent desire for a solitary life...”

Monasticism and ordination to the episcopate.

In 1758 he was tonsured a monk with the name Tikhon. The following year he was appointed rector of the Tver Seminary, where he lectured on moral theology. Moreover, he read them in Russian, and not in Latin, as was customary before him. In addition to students, many strangers came to his lectures. But a new, even higher field awaited him...

In 1761, on Easter Day, in St. Petersburg, members of the Holy Synod elected a bishop to Novgorod. One of seven candidates had to be chosen by lot. The Smolensk bishop proposed to also attribute the name of the Tver rector Tikhon. The first present of the Synod said: "Still young...", who wanted to make Tikhon archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, but wrote down his name. The lot was cast three times and each time Tikhon's lot fell out. “That’s right, God wants him to be a bishop.”- said the First Present. On the same day of Tver, His Eminence Athanasius, against his will, remembered him, still an archimandrite, on the Cherubim Song as a bishop: “ May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom.”,” and only then, noticing his slip of the tongue, he added with a smile: “God grant you to be a bishop.”

In great excitement, Bishop Tikhon entered Novgorod, the city in which he spent his youth. There he found his older sister living in great poverty. He received her with brotherly love, wanted to take care of her, but she soon died. The saint performed the funeral service for her, and in the grave the sister smiled at him. In Novgorod her grave was revered.

Voronezh department.

In 1763 he was transferred to the Voronezh department. The Voronezh diocese, from Orel to the Black Sea, at that time was one of the most difficult for church administration and was considered “wild”.

Catherine's reign began with the confiscation of church estates into the treasury. Monasteries and bishops' houses were assigned extremely meager maintenance, which is why they fell into disrepair. The bishop's house in Voronezh completely collapsed, the cathedral was destroyed, the broken bells did not ring. Catherine's government was more tolerant of schismatics and sectarians. The schismatics were freed from the double per capita salary, churches of the same faith began to emerge and schismatic centers were formed in Moscow. The sects of the Doukhobors, Molokans, Khlysty, and Skoptsy flourished in Ukraine. There were many schismatics in the Voronezh diocese. There were also a lot of Cossacks and fugitives there. The people are all rowdy and dissolute. The French freethinking ideas of Voltaire and the encyclopedists were widespread among the upper classes. Russian society was poorly educated and picked up fashionable ideas without criticism and followed them blindly, sometimes to the point of caricature. Blasphemy and stupid antics against the Church were considered a sign of an educated, progressive person. Anyone who did not preach atheism was considered an ossified fanatic and a hypocrite. Even on the way to Voronezh, the saint felt very bad; and having arrived and seeing confusion and impoverishment, he asked the Holy Synod to retire him. The Synod did not respect this request, and the saint meekly bore his cross.

He spent only 4 years and 7 months at the Voronezh department, but his activity as an administrator, teacher and good shepherd was great. He traveled around a huge diocese, almost all covered with dense forests or steppe, often just on horseback. First of all, he set about training the clergy, who were uneducated and careless to the extreme. It’s hard to believe that the priests not only didn’t know the service, but didn’t even know how to read properly and didn’t have the Gospel! The saint immediately ordered that, after checking, those who did not know the services and readings should be sent to him. He ordered everyone to have the New Testament in their hands and read it with reverence and diligence.

He preached a lot, including especially for the clergy, calling for this purpose teachers from the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, publishing books and sending them to the district towns of the diocese. Vladyka constantly participated in the education of future archpastors, opening Slavic schools in all cities, and then establishing two theological schools in Ostrogozhsk and Yelets. In 1765, through his works, the Voronezh Slavic-Latin school was transformed into a theological seminary. At the same time, the bishop was the first to prohibit corporal punishment of clergy in his diocese.

In the very first year of his priestly ministry in Voronezh, Bishop Tikhon wrote a short sermon "On the Seven Holy Mysteries." Then came the work “Addition to the priestly office of the mystery of holy repentance.” This work is of particular interest because in it the saint teaches two approaches to constructing a confession for the laity: feeling a person’s deep repentance and contrition for his sins, the clergyman must encourage and console him, reminding him of God’s mercy and forgiveness in order to prevent the penetration of despondency in his heart. Otherwise, the priest needs, on the contrary, to remind the person of judgment, of posthumous reward, in order to awaken in him regret for sins.

He taught the people to honor God's temple and priests, and demanded mercy from the rich and noble towards the poor. And morals began to soften. The saint called public festivities, immodest games, and drunken fun on holidays a fire that devastates souls.

In menacing sermons he denounced the excesses of Maslenitsa and especially the pagan holiday “Yarilo”. This holiday began on Wednesday after Trinity and lasted until Tuesday of Peter's Lent. On Wednesday, from early morning, people from Voronezh and surrounding villages walked to the square outside the Moscow Gate, where fair booths with various baits were set up. A young man in a paper cap, decorated with bells, ribbons and flowers, with a whitened and rouged face, portrayed Yarilo. He danced a frantic dance, and behind him a drunken crowd danced and raged. All this was accompanied by fights and swearing. And then one day - it was May 30, 1765 - in the midst of the ugliness, the saint unexpectedly appeared on the square and, menacingly denouncing the “stinking” holiday, threatened with excommunication. He spoke with such prophetic power and fiery persuasiveness that in an instant, right there, in front of the saint’s eyes, the crowd tore the booths and shops to pieces and sedately went home. The following Sunday, the saint preached a denunciatory sermon in the cathedral, during which the entire church groaned and sobbed loudly. And after that, many people came to the Vladyka in his country house and, on their knees, repented with tears. The Yarile holiday was never repeated.

For poor and needy people to St. Tikhon always had free access. He called the poor (according to Chrysostom) Christ’s and his brethren. The people loved their shepherd. They said about him: “We must obey him, otherwise he will complain to God.”

At rest

Meanwhile, the intense labors upset the health of Saint Tikhon. He asked to be dismissed from his position and spent the last 16 years (1767-1783) of his life in retirement in the Zadonsky Monastery.

General view of the Tikhonovsky male monastery. Lithograph from 1915

All of his time, with the exception of 4-5 hours of rest, was devoted to prayer, reading the word of God, doing charity work and composing soul-helping essays. Every day he came to the temple. At home, he often fell to his knees and, shedding tears, like the worst sinner, cried out: “Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy!" Without fail, every day he read several chapters from the Holy Scriptures (especially the prophet Isaiah), and he never went on the road without a small Psalter. His entire 400-ruble pension went to charity, and everything he received as a gift from friends went there. Often, in simple monastic clothes, he went to the nearest city (Elets) and visited prisoners in the local prison. He consoled them, encouraged them to repent and then gave them alms. He himself was extremely non-covetous, living among the simplest and poorest surroundings. Sitting down at a meager table, he often thought about the poor who did not have food like him and began to reproach himself for the fact that, in his opinion, he had worked little for the Church. Here bitter tears began to flow from his eyes.

The saint's character was hot-tempered, irritable and prone to arrogance. He had to work hard to overcome these qualities in himself. He fervently cried out to the Lord God for help and began to excel in meekness and gentleness. When he heard, passing by, how the monastery servants or the abbot sometimes mocked him, he said to himself: “This is how God pleases, and I am worthy of this for my sins”.

One day he was sitting on the porch of his cell and was tormented by thoughts of conceit. Suddenly the holy fool Kamenev, surrounded by a crowd of boys, unexpectedly ran up to him and hit him on the cheek, whispering in his ear: “Don’t be arrogant!” And a wonderful thing, the saint immediately felt how the demon of arrogance retreated from him. In gratitude for this, Saint Tikhon decided to give the holy fool three kopecks daily.

Another time, in the house of an acquaintance, he entered into a conversation with a Voltairean nobleman and meekly, but so strongly refuted the atheist in everything that the proud man could not stand it and, forgetting himself, hit the saint on the cheek. Saint Tikhon threw himself at his feet and began to ask for forgiveness for causing him irritation. This humility of the saint had such an effect on the daring offender that he turned to the Orthodox faith and later became a good Christian.

But the most difficult temptation for the saint was unaccountable melancholy and despondency. At such moments, it seems that the Lord retreats from a person, that everything is plunged into impenetrable darkness, that the heart turns to stone, and prayer stops. There is a feeling that the Lord does not hear, that the Lord turns away His Face. Such a graceless state is unbearably painful, so that monks in such periods move from one monastery to another, and often completely abandon the monastic feat. The saint struggled with attacks of despondency using various means. Or he worked physically, digging beds, chopping wood, mowing grass, or leaving the monastery, or working hard on his compositions, or singing psalms. Often it helped in such moments of grief to communicate with friends whom he visited for a long time, sometimes for three months or more. The friends who dispersed the clouds of Saint Tikhon’s spiritual sadness were Schemamonk Mitrofan, the Yelets merchant Kuzma Ignatievich and Elder Theophan, whom the saint called “Theophan, my joy.” The unwise, kind and naive old man often consoled Saint Tikhon with his childish clarity and simplicity of conversation. But sometimes the despondency was excessive.

One day, despondency fell upon the saint, reaching the point of despair; this happened in the 6th week of Great Lent. For eight days he did not leave his cell, did not take food or drink. Finally I wrote to Kuzma to come immediately. He was alarmed and, despite the spring thaw and high water, he arrived immediately. Both the love of a friend, who responded to the call at the risk of his life, and the conversation with him completely calmed the saint. And then an incident occurred that all the biographers of Saint Tikhon mention: he unexpectedly entered Father Mitrofan’s cell and found him and Kuzma Ignatievich at dinner. Both were extremely embarrassed, since they ate fish soup and fish aspic during the Lenten time, which was not prescribed by the rules. The saint not only reassured them with the words “Love is higher than fasting,” but also tasted the fish soup himself, which moved them to tears.

In retirement, Saint Tikhon wrote his best spiritual works. The fruit of his reflections on nature and people, which Saint Tikhon completed in retirement, were “Spiritual Treasure, Gathered from the World” (1770) And “On True Christianity” (1776).

Saint Tikhon carefully concealed his grace-filled gifts of insight and miracle-working. He could clearly see the thoughts of his interlocutor, predicted the flood of 1777 in St. Petersburg, and in 1778, the year of the birth of Emperor Alexander I, predicted many events of his reign and, in particular, that Russia would be saved, and the Invader (Napoleon) would die.

Demise

Saint Tikhon devoted the last years of his life to prayer and almost complete solitude, preparing for death. Three years before his death, he prayed every day: “Tell me, Lord, my death.” And a quiet voice at dawn said: "On the day of the week." After this he was told in a dream: "Work hard for three more years".

The saint had clothes and a coffin prepared for his death: he often came to cry over his coffin, which stood hidden from people in a closet: “This is what man has brought himself to: being created by God immaculate and immortal, like cattle burrowing into the ground!”

Shortly before his death, he saw in a dream a high ladder that he had to climb and many people following him and supporting him. He realized that this ladder marked his path to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the people were those who listened to him and would remember him.

The saint died on Sunday, as was announced to him, at the 59th year of his life August 13, 1783 . “His death was so calm that I seemed to fall asleep.” The funeral service was performed by his close friend, Bishop Tikhon (Malinin) of Voronezh. Saint Tikhon was buried in the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery.

Zadonsky Bogoroditsky Monastery

Zadonsky Bogoroditsky Monastery, now called the Nativity of the Theotokos Diocesan Monastery, was founded at the beginning of the 17th century. Two pious elders-schemamonks of the Sretensky Moscow Monastery, Kirill and Gerasim, arrived on the banks of the Don River with the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and founded a monastery here. The first temple they built in 1630 was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is where the history of the monastery begins, which later acquired the glory of Russian Jerusalem.

Zadonsk Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery, Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

A few years later, Saint Tikhon appeared in a dream to Schemamonk Mitrofan and said to him: "God wants to glorify me". The incorrupt relics of St. Tikhon were found in 1845, and on August 12, 1861 he was canonized. During the years of Soviet power, the holy relics of Tikhon of Zadonsk were confiscated. Their second acquisition took place in 1991. Nowadays the relics of the saint rest in the Bogoroditsky monastery in the city of Zadonsk, Lipetsk region .

7 TESTAMENTS OF ST. TIKHON OF ZADONSKY

Based on materials from the Russian Seven portal (

1. Look for happiness in grief

More than once in his writings, Saint Tikhon emphasized the importance of victory over oneself, calling precisely this victory the true happiness of a Christian. “Pride is overcome by humility, anger by meekness and patience, hatred by love”... If you remember this high goal, it becomes clear how the saint managed to rejoice in numerous disasters - after all, they helped him see the evil that lies in his heart, and therefore overcome it . We also read from Dostoevsky the words of Elder Zosima: “Life will bring you many misfortunes, but they will make you happy...”

2. Look for God everywhere

There is no place where God is not present, and it is useful to remember this. On the one hand, so that it would be a shame to sin, on the other hand, so as not to seek approval from anyone but Him: “He is in every place, but is not confined by a place: He is with me and with you, and with every person. Although we do not see Him as an invisible spirit, we often feel Him present in our sorrows, helping in temptations, comforting in sorrows, awakening spiritual and holy contritions, desires, movements and thoughts, revealing sins in our conscience, sending us sorrows for our benefit, comforting the repentant and mourning. Man does everything he does before Him, speaks before Him, thinks before Him - good or evil.”

3. About the stupidity of sin

Sin is terrible, dark and... stupid. After all, if you look at it with clear eyes, you will see how you gain nothing by doing it: “Every person sins and thereby punishes himself! His sin itself is his execution. He offends another - and is offended himself, offends - and is offended, embitters - and becomes embittered, beats - and is beaten, kills - and is killed, deprives - and is deprived of, slanderes - and is slandered, condemns - and is condemned, blasphemes - and is blasphemed, scolds - and is scolded, deceives - and is seduced, deceives - and is deceived, humiliates - and is humiliated, laughs - and is ridiculed. In a word, no matter what evil he does to his neighbor, he does greater evil to himself. So the sinner fills himself with the measure that he measures for his neighbor in abundance!”
“To sin is a human thing, but to persist in sin is a devilish thing.”- wrote Tikhon of Zadonsky, giving hope to the repentant and frightening sinners.

4. Think before you become a boss

Bosses are a topic that is both simple and complex, open and delicate at the same time. It is difficult for a boss, but it is necessary to be a real Christian, conquering his passions. “It is bad and unthinkable to command people, but to be dominated by passions,”- writes the saint. The boss needs reason and a good conscience so as not to be like a blind man, without a path, and to create, and not ruin, society. “Honor changes human character, but rarely for the better. Many would be saints if they were not in honor. Think about this, Christian, and do not take on a burden beyond your strength.” Tikhon Zadonsky calls the covetous people the biggest pests of society, saying that they are more terrible than foreign enemies. “The duty of leaders is to save, not to destroy.”

5. Don't look down on yourself

Boss or non-boss, it’s not easy for anyone to see themselves, to find and not be afraid to look into the depths of their conscience. Especially now, when many theories are intertwined without any system in a person’s head, and he knows how to look at everything from ten angles. Saint Tikhon is here, like many holy fathers, for his simplicity. And to make it simple, he gives a clear metaphor: “Just as those who look at a valley from a high mountain often do not see the ditches, pits, and sewage flowing through them, so it happens with the highly intelligent. They, looking down on themselves, see only their surface, and do not see the disgusting impurities of their hearts, often secret, but no less ugly and vile.”

6. Measure strength by temptations

The saint advises those who have severe temptations to rejoice, because God will not allow a person to be tempted beyond his strength. If temptations increase, this may mean that a person is growing stronger spiritually and can take on more. This can mean God's attention and His love. “The master hits a crystal or glass vessel lightly so that it does not break, but he hits silver and copper ones firmly; So the weak are given an easy temptation, but the strong are allowed the most grievous temptation.”

7. Learn true love

It seems that both troubles and happiness, according to St. Tikhon, are a sign of God’s love for man. And if a person loves Him in return, then he loves everything that the Lord loved. And that means every person. “This is true love - to love without any selfishness and to do good without hope of reward,”- writes Tikhon Zadonsky. And he adds about joy: “A clear sign of God’s love is heartfelt joy in God. For what we love, we rejoice in. Likewise, God’s love cannot exist without joy.” It is not for nothing that people pray to this bright and loving shepherd in despondency and for a cure for depression, asking him to teach a person to rejoice in God.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory

Troparion, tone 8
From my youth I loved ece Christ, blessed one, you were an image in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity and humility; In the same way, and having taken up residence in the Heavenly monasteries, where you stand before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, pray to Saint Tikhon for our souls to be saved.

Another troparion, tone 4
The teacher of Orthodoxy, the teacher of piety, the preacher of repentance, the zealot of Chrysostom, the good shepherd, the new luminary and miracle worker of Russia, you have shepherded your flock well, and with your writings you have instructed us all; decorated with the same crown of incorruption from the Chief Shepherd, pray to Him to save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 8
The successor of the apostles, the adornment of the saints, the teacher of the Orthodox Church, the Lady of all, pray to grant greater peace to the universe and great mercy to our souls.

Prayer to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
O great saint of Christ and miracle worker Tikhon! Hear us, many sinners, who come running to you with warm faith and tender prayer. We know beforehand your angel-like good life on earth, we glorify your mercy in everything, we are in awe of the height of your Christian virtues, in which in good times you prospered to the glory of the Lord who wondrously glorified you. You truly were the good shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ, the valiant builder of the mysteries of God, the pillar and adornment of the Orthodox Church, the Russian Chrysostom, the strong exterminator of pagan customs, the most skilful interpreter of the Gospel teaching, the zealous guardian of the sacred traditions of the fathers, the lover of monastic hopelessness. a prayer inspired by God for the collector of treasures of spiritual wisdom from this visible world, created with wisdom by God. You, as a chosen vessel of grace, unfailingly taught all those who thirsted for salvation in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity and humility. You were the merciful protector of the orphans, the care of widows, the poor and a quick comforter to all those in troubles and misfortunes, and now we know that you stand before the face of the Lord of glory and have great boldness towards Him; For this reason, Father, we come running to you and fervently pray to you: be an intercessor for all of us at the Throne of the Most High. May He forgive our iniquities and untruths; may it enlighten our mind, darkened by vanity, and direct it to the true light of knowledge of God; may our weak hearts be preserved from the lustful, sinful passions and pernicious wisdom of this age; may the land be given timely irrigation of rain and fruit, and all that is useful to us, even to the temporal and eternal life, and may all who flow to the race of your incorruptible relics find peace, love and serenity. For our Church, ask the Heavenly King for mercy, prosperity, salvation, and victory and victory for our enemies. Protect our Fatherland with peace and quiet. Preserve your holy monastery from all temptations and teach us all to reverently and fearfully walk along the paths of God’s commandments, so that we, together with you and with all the saints, may be honored to stand at the right hand of the Lord of hosts on the day of His terrible universal judgment. Remember, O saint of Christ, Saint Father Tikhon, in your holy prayers the souls of our departed father and brothers, may the Lord rest them in the heavenly villages; do not despise our sighing, so that we may glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Ah min.

Another prayer to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
O all-praised saint and saint of Christ, our Father Tikhon! Having lived like an angel on earth, you, like a good angel, appeared in your wondrous glorification. We believe with all our souls and thoughts that you are our merciful helper and prayer book, with your honest intercessions and the grace abundantly given to you from the Lord, ever contributing to our salvation. Accept, therefore, blessed servant of Christ, even at this hour our unworthy prayer: free us through your intercession from the vanity and superstition that surrounds us, the unbelief and evil faith of man. Strive, quickly for us, to the representative, with your favorable intercession, beg the Lord, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, His sinful and unworthy servants, may He heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of the corrupted souls and bodies of ours, may He dissolve the okama - our hearts are filled with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna; May He grant to all His faithful people peace and quiet, health and salvation, and good haste in everything, so that having lived such a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, let us be worthy to glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father with the Angels and with all the saints, and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Ah min.

The Christian saint, Tikhon of Zadonsk, is known for his works on spiritual topics, a strict ascetic and prayer book, an irreconcilable fighter against pagan traditions, and at the same time possessing meekness and humility in relation to the faith of Christ, during his lifetime he gained fame as a miracle worker and healer. After his death, Tikhon of Zadonsk was canonized, recognized as a saint and wonderworker, protector of Christians, and heavenly patron of monks and missionaries.

What do they pray to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk for?

Saint Tikhon prayed a lot and earnestly, and had the gift of a seer. He amazed those around him with his gift of miracles. And today, many people turn in prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk for help and healing, and this help comes. They pray to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk to help him find a meek disposition and zeal in good deeds, humility and peacefulness. People turn to him in prayer for the healing of illnesses, including mental ones, from depression and demonic possession, addictions, including smoking, alcoholism and drug addiction.

Prayer text

Oh, great Pleasant of God and glorious Wonderworker, Our Hierarch Tikhon!

With tenderness we bend our knees and fall before the race of your honorable and multi-healing relics, we praise, glorify and magnify the God who glorified you, and who showed great mercy to us unworthy in you, and who diligently, with faith and love, honors your holy memory, we pray to you: bring our prayer to all to the sustaining and saving man-loving Lord, to whom you now stand as an Angel and with all the Saints, that He may establish Him in His holiness Orthodox Church the living spirit of right faith and piety, and all its members, purified from superstition and superstition, worship Him in spirit and truth and are diligently concerned about keeping His commandments, may its shepherd give holy zeal for the salvation of the people entrusted to them - the right of believers to observe, weak and Strengthen the weak in the faith, instruct the ignorant, reprove the contrary.

And again, with hope, like the child of our father who exists for us, we pray to you, Saint Tikhon, for we believe that you, living in heaven, love us with the same love with which you loved all your neighbors, so that you may always remain on earth, ask from the all-merciful Lord and give us all the gift that is beneficial to everyone and everything that is useful for the temporal and eternal life, peace, the establishment of our cities, the fruitfulness of the earth, deliverance from famine and destruction, preservation from the invasion of foreigners, consolation for the grieving, healing for the sick, restoration for the fallen, return to the path of truth for those who go astray, strengthening for those who strive in good deeds, prosperity for those who do good, blessing for parents, upbringing and teaching for children in the passion of the Lord, knowledge and piety for the mentor, admonition for the ignorant, help and intercession for the orphans, the poor and the needy, departing from this temporary life to the eternal good preparation and parting words for those who have departed to blissful repose.
For all of these, most especially, ask us, Saint Tikhon, from the Generous God, for you have great boldness towards Him: for you are the owner of the ever-present intercessor and warm prayer book for us before the Lord, to whom all glory, honor and worship is due.

To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Tikhon the Wonderworker of Zadonsk for healing

Tikhon of Zadonsk led an ascetic lifestyle and was modest, but his gift as a miracle worker could not be hidden. The fame of Saint Tikhon as a miracle worker and man of prayer spread throughout Rus' during his lifetime.

The saint helped a large number of believers to be healed and gain sight, gave the ability to walk, those who did not get out of bed, and cured other serious ailments of sick people. When praying to Tikhon of Zadonsk for healing and now more quantity believers are cured of serious illnesses.

Prayer text

O all-praised Saint and Servant of Christ, our Father Tikhon!
Having lived like an angel on earth, you, like a good angel, appeared in your wondrous glorification.
We believe with all our souls and thoughts that you, our merciful helper and prayer book, are constantly contributing to our salvation through your honest intercessions and the grace abundantly bestowed upon you from the Lord.
Accept therefore, blessed Servant of Christ, even at this hour our unworthy prayer: free us through your intercession from the vanity and superstition that surrounds us, the unbelief and evil of man.

Strive, quick intercessor for us, to beg the Lord with your favorable intercession, may He add His great and rich mercy to us sinners and unworthy His servants, may He heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of our corrupted souls and bodies, may our petrified hearts dissolve with tears of tenderness and Contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna; May He grant to all His faithful people peace and quiet, health and salvation, and good haste in everything, so that having lived a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, let us be worthy to glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father with the Angels and all the Saints and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk from witchcraft

Tikhon Zadonsky conducted educational work among the population about the eradication of pagan traditions and the establishment of the Christian faith in Rus'. He was a fierce opponent of paganism and witchcraft, and led accusatory sermons and exhortations. His spiritual struggle with magic was carried out through conversations with parishioners and prayers. After his death, people began to turn to him for protection through prayer from witchcraft. The very fact that this prayer has survived to this day speaks of its effectiveness.

Prayer text

O saint, our father Tikhon! Hear us and try to beg the Lord with your favorable intercession, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, His sinful and unworthy servants (names), may He heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of our corrupted souls and bodies, may He dissolve our petrified hearts with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may He grant us peace and silence, health and salvation in this present world, so that we may be worthy, with the Angels and with all the saints, to glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

Prayer for the mentally ill

Prayers to Tikhon of Zadonsk have special power in healing mental illnesses. A sick person possessed by demons can find the help of St. Tikhon when the sick person or his loved ones turn to him. The main thing is that the patient himself and the people who help him fight the disease want and believe in the miraculous power of prayer and together fight the unclean spirit, observing Christian rituals and commandments. It is imperative to pray in front of the image of St. Tikhon. During his lifetime, the saint taught spiritual struggle and prayer, and insisted on daily prayer work, which only in this case made it possible to get rid of serious illnesses, including demonic possession. Prayer purified and enlightened the worshiper and created unbearable conditions for evil spirits and the illness left him.

Prayer text

Our Father Tikhon, we praise you! You are a saint of Christ, a saint of God! Your existence is like that of an angel, like an angel you appeared and gave people hope. We send you our faith and our good thoughts. Your mercy, your help saves our souls. Intercede for us before the Lord, ask for spiritual salvation for us. Hear our unworthy prayers, be merciful to us, intercede for us. Give us wisdom, protect us from human evil, protect us from evil deeds and thoughts. Pray for us before the Lord, grant us great strength and good mercy. Sinful and unworthy servants of God (names) turn to you, asking for healing of our physical and mental ulcers. Deliver us from the wounds on our bodies. Let the tears of tenderness and contrition dissolve stone hearts our. Enlighten us about repentance, deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of hell. May faithful people be granted peace and silence, health and salvation, success in business, good people along the way, piety and purity. We pray to you and glorify your image. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Prayer for Marriage

Although Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk himself led an ascetic lifestyle, he was merciful to parishioners and stood up for healthy image life and establishing strong family relations. It is still believed that Saint Tikhon patronizes families, and women turn in prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk for marriage, and he helps them find good, respectable husbands.

Prayer text

O great servant of God and glorious miracle-working saint, our Father Tikhon! Falling tenderly before your icon, we pray to you: bring our prayer to the Lord who loves mankind, may He grant longevity of mental and physical health to the servants of God (names) and parishioners of this holy temple, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, sinners and unworthy of His servants, may our petrified hearts dissolve with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may we sing and glorify the ineffable generosity of the Lover of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your fatherly intercession, in forever and ever. Amen.