Who was the Arsentius version of the artist or saint. Day of the angel (name day) of Arseny according to the Orthodox church calendar

Venerable Arseny the Great was born in 354 in Rome, in a pious Christian family, which gave him a good upbringing and education. Having studied secular sciences and being fluent in Latin and Greek, the Monk Arseny acquired deep knowledge, connected with a pious and virtuous life. Deep faith prompted the young man to leave the sciences and prefer the service of God. When he entered the ranks of the clergy of one of the Roman churches, he was elevated to the rank of deacon.

Emperor Theodosius (379-395), who ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire, heard about his education and piety and entrusted Arseny with the education of his sons Arcadius and Honorius. Against his will, obeying only the command of the Roman Pope Demas, the Monk Arsenios was forced to part with the service of the holy altar, at that time he was 29 years old.

Having arrived in Constantinople, Arseny was greeted with great honor by the emperor Theodosius, who gave him the command to raise the princes not only wise, but also pious, protecting them from the hobbies of youth. "Although they are royal sons," said Theodosius, "they must obey you in everything, as their father and teacher."

With zeal, the monk took up the education of young men, but the high honor with which he was surrounded weighed down his spirit, striving to serve God in the silence of monastic life. In fervent prayers the monk asked the Lord to show him the way of salvation. The Lord heeded his petition and one day he heard a Voice saying to him: "Arseny, run away from people and you will be saved." Then, taking off his luxurious clothes and putting on a wanderer's, he secretly left the palace, boarded a ship and sailed to Alexandria, from where he immediately hurried to the skete desert. Arriving at the church, he asked the presbyters to accept him as a monk, calling himself a miserable wanderer, but his appearance indicated in him not a simple, but a noble person. The brethren took him to the glorified holy life (Comm. 9 November). He, wanting to test the humility of the visitor, during the meal did not seat Arseny among the monks, but threw him a cracker, saying: "If you want, eat." With great humility, the Monk Arseny fell to his knees, crawled up to the lying biscuit and ate it, moving into a corner. Seeing this, Elder John said: "He will be a great ascetic!" Having received Arseny with love, he tonsured the novice ascetic into monasticism.

With zeal, the Monk Arseny began to undergo obedience and soon surpassed in asceticism many of the hermit fathers. Once, at a prayer, the monk again heard a Voice: "Arseny, run away from people and remain in silence - this is the root of sinlessness." - Since then, the Monk Arseny settled outside the Skete, in a solitary cell, having accepted the feat of silence, rarely left the seclusion, coming to church only on holidays and Sundays, did not talk with anyone, observing complete silence. To the question of one monk - why is he hiding from people like that, the ascetic answered: “God sees that I love everyone, but I cannot be at the same time with God and people. The powers of Heaven all have one will and unanimously glorify God, but on earth every person has its own will and people's thoughts are different. I can't leave God and live with people."

Being in unceasing prayer, the monk, however, did not refuse the coming monks advice and guidance, giving brief but wise answers to their questions. One day, a monk from Skete, who came to the great old man, saw him through the window standing at prayer, surrounded by flames. The needlework of the Monk Arseny was the weaving of baskets, for this he soaked the leaves of date palms, from which baskets were woven, in water. For a whole year, the Monk Arseny did not change the water in the vessel, from which a putrid smell emanated. To the question why he does this, the monk replied that by doing so he humbles himself, since, while living in the world, he was surrounded by fragrant smells, and now he endures the stench, so as not to feel the stench of hell after death.

The fame of the great ascetic spread far, many wished to see him and thus broke the silence of the ascetic, as a result of which the monk was forced to move from place to place. However, those who were hungry for guidance and blessing found him.

The Monk Arseniy taught: many take upon themselves great deeds of fasting and vigil, but few keep their souls from hatred, anger, remembrance, malice, condemnation and pride, such are like painted coffins filled inside with stinking bones. One monk asked the monk what he should do when, while reading the psalms, he does not understand their meaning. The elder replied that we should continue reading the psalms, since the evil forces flee from us, not enduring the power of the Word of the Divine Scriptures. The monks had to hear how the monk often forced himself to exploits with the words: "Work hard, Arseny, do not be lazy, you have not come to rest, but to work." The monk also said: "I repented many times about my words, but never about silence."

The great ascetic and silent man acquired the gift of grace-filled tears, with which his eyes were constantly filled. He spent 55 years in monastic deeds, earning the title of the Great from his contemporaries, and died at the age of 95 in 449 or 450.

Iconic original
	Novgorod XV. Saints John of the Ladder, John of Damascus, Arseniy. Icon (tablet). Novgorod. End of the 15th century 24 x 19. From St. Sophia Cathedral. Novgorod Museum.
	Athos. XV. Rev. Arseny. Miniature. Athos (Iversky monastery). End of the 15th century Since 1913 in the Russian Public (now the National) Library in St. Petersburg.

He was born in Veliky Novgorod. Nothing is known about his parents. Even in adolescence, he decided to devote himself to the Lord. He was able to enter the monastery only in 1373. Here he lived for 11 years, being considered a model of monastic life by the brethren. But Arseny himself did not think so and strove for more intense prayer, for this he went to Athos, where he fulfilled all existing obediences. Best of all, he was able to forge vessels, the fame of the saint's needlework spread far beyond the boundaries of the Svyatogorsk monastery. So three years passed. It's time to return home. The abbot of the monastery blessed him with the icon of the Mother of God, which is now known to everyone as Konevskaya.

Then Arseny began to asceticize on Valaam. In his prayer, he appealed to God with a calling, so that He would indicate a place where a new monastery could be built. Once, when the saint was at sea, he was carried by a storm to the island of Konevets. It is located on Lake Ladoga. It was here that he began to ascetic, erected a cross, erected a small chapel. Life in the harsh northern conditions was hard, but he did not leave prayer. Previously, on the island, residents from the shore grazed horses, they thought that they were guarded by spirits that live under a stone. Every autumn, as a sign of gratitude, they left one horse at the stone. The animal died of hunger, and people thought that the spirits had taken it. The monk soon found out about such pagan behavior of the inhabitants. To debunk this myth, the saint sprinkled the stone with water, prayed, and the spirits flew away in the form of ravens.

Venerable Arseny the Great

Born in 354 in Rome, in a pious Christian family, which gave him a good upbringing and education. He studied the writings of all rhetoricians and philosophers and knew both Greek and Latin well, but left the vain life of the world and neglected Hellenic wisdom, devoting himself to the service of God. When he entered the ranks of the clergy of one of the Roman churches, he was elevated to the rank of deacon.

Emperor Theodosius (379-395), who at that time ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire, was looking for a teacher for his sons Arcadius and Honorius, who would teach them both philosophy and Divine wisdom not only in words, but also by the example of his virtuous life. Hearing about the education and piety of Deacon Arseny, he entrusted him with the education of his sons. Against his will, but with zeal, the monk took up the education of young men. However, the high honor with which he was surrounded burdened his spirit, which aspired to serve God in the silence of monastic life. The Monk Arseny began to pray to God with tears that He would direct him to the path of salvation. And one day I heard a voice from above, saying: “Arseny! Run away from people and you will be saved." Then, taking off his luxurious clothes and putting on a wanderer's, he secretly left the palace, boarded a ship and sailed to Alexandria, from where he immediately hurried to the skete desert.

Passing obedience under the guidance of the Monk Abba John Kolov (Comm. 9/22 November), the Monk Arseniy soon surpassed in asceticism many desert fathers. When he again prayed that the Lord would teach him to be saved, then in response to this there was a voice from heaven, saying: “Arseny! Hide from people and remain silent, this is the root of virtue. Since then, the Monk Arseny settled outside the skete, in a solitary cell, having taken on the feat of silence, coming to church only on holidays and Sundays, and did not talk to anyone, observing complete silence. When the monks who labored in the skete wilderness asked him why he was hiding even from them, the saint answered, “God knows how much I love you, but I cannot be with God and with people at the same time, because in heaven, although there are a lot of higher powers - thousands by thousands or tens of thousands, but they all have one will and therefore unanimously glorify God, but there are many human wills on earth, and each person has his own thoughts; each of us has different intentions and thoughts, and therefore I cannot, leaving God, live with people.” The Monk Arseniy said about himself that he did not need anything, because he died for the world; let no one consider him more alive (that is, living for the world).

One wandering monk, visiting the monk, did not hear a single word from him, and when he came to the Monk Moses (Comm. 28 August / September 10), he received him with joy, offered to rest and refresh himself with food, and the monk recognized the best of the Monk Moses, giving him great love. Another monk, learning about this, began to pray to God, saying this: “Lord! Tell me, which of them is more perfect and deserving of Your greater grace: is it the one who hides from people for Your sake, or the one who accepts everyone also for Your sake? And in answer to his prayer, this wise monk had the following vision. He imagined two ships sailing on some very large river, in one ship was the Monk Arseny, and the Spirit of God controlled his ship, observing it in great silence, in the other was the Monk Moses, the ship was controlled by the Angels of God, putting honey into mouth of Moses. The monk told about this vision to other, more experienced ascetics, and everyone found that the Monk Arseny, who remains in silence, is more perfect than the Monk Moses, who receives strangers, because God Himself was with the first, and with the second there were only holy angels.

The Monk Arseny continued to remain in silence, more and more delving into the thought of God. He burned with such intense love for God that he was constantly on fire because of his fervent prayers. The monk did not always labor in one and the same place, but sometimes he moved from the skete desert to more secluded and silent places, moving away from people who came for conversation, as they disturbed his peace of mind.

The Monk Arseny taught: “There are many such people who try in every possible way to maintain bodily purity and for this they mortify their bodies by fasting, vigil and many labors; but few are those who jealously protect their souls from the sin of vanity, pride, love of money, envy, fraternal hatred, anger, remembrance, malice, condemnation. Such people are outwardly pure in body, but their souls are dirty, they are like coffins, decorated on the outside, but full of stinking bones inside. Blessed is he who tries to save both his body and his soul from filth, truly blessed are the pure in heart (and not just in body), because they will see God.

The great abba often said the following words about himself: “Arseny! Why did you come here? You came here not for rest but for work, not for laziness, but for achievement. Strive, work, and do not be lazy.” Often the monk also spoke such words: “Many times I regretted the words that my mouth uttered, but I never regretted silence.” Blessed Arseny also acquired the gift of blessed tears.

The great ascetic and silent man spent 50 years in monastic labors and deeds, pleasing God with fasting and prayer. He stayed in the monastery for forty years, lived for ten years in a place called Trogin, near Babylon, opposite the city of Memphis; then the monk spent three years in Kanops, near Alexandria and in some other desert places, so that no one knew his way of life, then he returned to Trogin again, lived there for two years and there he rested in the Lord at the age of 95 years in 449. or at the beginning of 450, having earned the name of the Great from his contemporaries.

(MP3 file. Duration 7:12 min. Size 3.5 Mb) Read by Hieromonk Zosima (Melnik)

Saint Arsenius was born into a noble Roman family at the beginning of the 4th century. Gifted with a lively mind, he received a comprehensive secular education. But having become a deacon, he decided to devote himself exclusively to sacred works. The saint became so famous in the capital that when the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Theodosius the Great asked the ruler of its western part, Emperor Gratian, to find a teacher for his sons, Gratian sent Arseny to him.

Despite the honor at court and the respect shown to him by Theodosius, who looked up to him as a spiritual father, the forty-year-old Arseny did not allow himself to be deceived by the false charms of the world and ardently desired to devote his life only to God. One night he prayed to the Lord, asking him to show the way to salvation, and heard a voice from heaven: “Arseny, run away from people and you will be saved!” He immediately left the palace, reached the pier, boarded a ship and sailed to Alexandria. He was immediately tonsured a monk in one of the many monasteries that were located around the capital of Egypt. And if at court he wore a rich and expensive dress, then here he began to wear only the simplest clothes, in which it was impossible to recognize him. He abandoned the vain worldly science and became a student of the harsh Egyptian ascetics, to whom he turned without hesitation about any of his thoughts.

After some time, Arseny again asked God in prayer how it was possible to be saved. The same voice told him: “Arseny, hide from people, stay in silence, keep your mind sober. These are the roots of perfection." Then he went to the well-known monastery Skeet to go out into the wilderness. There he built himself a cell 47 kilometers from the church. He left the cell very rarely, for 40 years he was alone with God, courageously rejecting demonic temptations that reminded him of his former life. Every day he asked himself: “Arseny, why did you leave the world?” - and humbly asked God: "Give me, by Your mercy, to lay the foundation."

Just like other hermits, Arseny spent his days weaving baskets from palm branches and reading psalms. He never changed the water in which the branches were soaked, and humbly endured the stench, which now replaced for him, as he himself said, the perfumes and incense that he once used in the world. There were no amenities in his cell, not even a lamp. From food, he was content with one basket of bread a year. Nevertheless, Saint Arsenios never turned away from what God had created, and at harvest time he asked to bring him fruit, which he tried, however, only once. He prayed all night, refusing to sleep, and in the morning, obeying nature, he said to sleep: “Come here, evil slave!” and took a short rest. The ascetic believed that a monk, if he is a true warrior, needs only one hour of sleep. On Saturday night, this heavenly man began to pray with his back to the setting sun and stood with his hands outstretched to the sky until the sun began to shine on his face.

When visitors, even the most highly placed, came to his cell for instructions, Saint Arsenios refused to accept them. To the Archbishop of Alexandria Theophilus, who wanted to visit him, he replied: “If you come, I will open it for you, but if I open it for you, I will open it for everyone - and then I will not stay here.” He was asked why he avoids people, and he replied: “God knows that I love you, but I cannot live with God and with you. Myriads of heavenly powers have only one will, but people have many of them. I can't leave God and go to people."

From prolonged solitude, silence, vigil, keeping thoughts, tears constantly moistened his eyes. When Arseny was engaged in manual labor, he always put a piece of cloth on his chest in order to collect tears that flowed easily and so plentifully that his eyelashes fell out. A stream of tears not only washed his soul from all impure passions, but also transformed his body, making the saint look like an angel: the ascetic had an entirely bright appearance. Once one of the brethren approached the cell and quietly looked inside before knocking. He saw the elder standing as if engulfed in flames, transfigured by the light of grace.

Sometimes Saint Arsenios came to the Church of the Skete to celebrate the Eucharist. He stood behind a pillar so that no one could see his face, and reluctantly answered the questions of the brethren. The ascetic had completely white hair and a long beard to the waist.

Saint Arseny lived in the Skete desert for about 40 years. When the barbarians attacked the monks, the saint passed by them, but they did not see him. However, after the second invasion of the famous monastery (434), he had to flee to Mount Trogan, where he lived for ten years. Then, after a three-year stay in Kanop, Saint Arsenios returned to Trogan, where he reposed at the age of 95 (449).

Just before his death, the saint ordered his disciples to throw his body on the mountain; he also said, "I have often repented of spoken words, but never of silence." The brethren, seeing that he was embarrassed and crying, asked if he was really afraid, despite the fact that he had achieved such dispassion? The ascetic replied: “Truly, the fear that I feel now has accompanied me since I became a monk.” Then he went to the Lord.

From the memorable words of St. Arseny, let us remind our disciples the following: "As much as you can, try to make your inner occupation according to God - and you will conquer external passions."

Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House

The church calendar, popularly called the holy calendar, is a huge book of memory in which the names and church ranks of saints revered by our faith are carefully collected. Honoring our personal patron, we not only ask heaven for protection, but also partake of two millennia of church exploits, giving thanks to all who have dedicated themselves, and even gave their own lives for the glory of Christ.

church name: Arseniy

When to celebrate - is it really on each of these days? No! If the birth of a boy fell on one of the dates listed, this will be his angel day. If not, you need to choose the date closest to his birthday on the calendar, and consider it Arsen's name day.

Church form of the name and its origin

More details about the most famous saints named Arseny

1. Reverend Caves (Hardworking). This saint lived tirelessly: not a single monk saw him sitting idle, he either performed a prayer or was engaged in monastic obedience. Through his efforts, and also thanks to strict fasting, he won God's grace in the form of the gift of miracles.
2. Arseny Komelsky. He grew up in a noble family, but soon became a monk and began to profess renunciation of all worldly goods, including strict fasting. He became abbot, but later went to the Komel forest, where he spent his days in silent prayer. It is known that this monk could pacify any wild beast by prayer.
3. Arseniy of Novgorod, holy fool for Christ's sake. Born in the city of Rzhev, at first he bore the name Ambrose, he was engaged in leather dressing. His mother forced him to marry, but after some time he left the house and his wife, went to Novgorod, where he took monastic vows and founded a monastery. There he mortified his flesh in every possible way (including wearing chains and iron chains under shabby clothes), and tearfully prayed. Received from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance.

And in the end, we offer to learn about the life of the most famous saint bearing this name - Arseny the Great, reverend. This young man from a noble Roman family made himself famous for his monastic feat and silence (although all the numerous pilgrims received both his blessing and wise advice):