Venerable Anatoly, Elder of Optina (senior)

January 25 / February 7 is the day of remembrance of one of the most famous saints of Optina Pustyn - St. Anatoly (the elder). What was he remembered for, what feature was most striking in his spiritual appearance and attracted the attention of those who left memories of him?

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is humility and obedience. Inherent in general to all Optina elders, Fr. Anatoly (Zertsalov) it manifested itself so clearly that teachers set him up as an example to others, no longer fearing that it could harm him...

"Boss"

… An unusual picture once appeared before the eyes of one of Elder Ambrose’s visitors. Waiting for a reception in his “shack,” she hastily headed to the cell, as soon as the elder called to him, but, not having time to cross the threshold, she froze in indecision: another priest was kneeling in front of the priest, without changing position. And o. Ambrose, noticing her confusion and looking at her cheerfully, said: “I recommend: my boss.” This episode remained in my memory for a long time. In that other priest, she recognized the head of the John the Baptist monastery, Fr. Anatolia.

Apparently, the priest had reasons to “sneak in” to the guest in such a fatherly, playful way: they say, look, look, how the monks live, – the ruler does not neglect obedience and respect, – and take note.

There is a measure for everything, everything with reasoning, and for all the beginners and the weary sisters, Father consoles: don't be discouraged, despondency – the main enemy of the monastics; let the work be hard now, but “...the proportion of nuns is terribly high, that’s why it’s hard here” ***.

In the instructions of Elder Anatoly there are many things that are useful for the laity. Here, for example, is about keeping peace, about the fact that you need to forgive with ease: “Be patient with everything - you will be peaceful yourself, and you will bring peace to others! But if you start to reckon with it, you’ll lose the world, and with it, salvation.” ****

Or, also, a small, but such a fatherly insightful remark about how to pray: “Don’t be cunning in prayer, but do things more simply. The Lord said: Unless you are like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” *****.

There are many such brief but memorable instructions scattered throughout his letters. But what distinguishes them somewhat, sets them apart from the Optina heritage, is some kind of special, personal, growing out of life experience, involvement with those who know hardships. As an appeal to everyone who is tired on the rise and sometimes no longer finds the strength to endure the trials sent, wonderful, strengthening words are addressed: “...every spiritual wound there will shine more than an expensive diamond; but still, the general joy will be so great that we will only be consoled and have fun by looking at our neighbors. All those who suffered here will be so good.” ******

...Perhaps on this day, when the Church commemorates St. Anatoly Optinsky, some of our readers will find time to re-read the letters, “to be alone with the elder.” We turn to the saint, and he is nearby...

Father Anatoly, both in his bent appearance, and in his manner of going out to the people in a black half-robe, and in his swift, joyful, loving and humble treatment of people, resembled the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov. The spirit and strength of the first great Optina elders were clearly felt in him.

Archpriest Sergius Chetverikov

Father Anatoly was unusually simple and kind. Anyone who approached him felt the happiness of being caught, as it were, in a golden rain of grace. The very approach of a person to this elder seemed to give him a wonderful opportunity for purification and consolation.

Archimandrite Boris (Kholchev)

August 12 is the day of remembrance of St. Anatoly (Potapov), one of the last Optina elders. After the revolution, there was no one to compile the life of the elder, unlike the biographies of the previous Optina monks. Scattered memories of pilgrims, records of spiritual children, and letters from the elder have been preserved, in which biographical details are often lacking, but his image appears brightly and vividly. Let us honor the memory of the elder and touch on these memories. St. Anatoly, like St. Sergius of Radonezh, completely fulfilled God’s commandment to honor parents, postponing his desire to enter a monastery until the death of his mother. The future elder, in the world Alexander, entered Optina Pustyn on February 15, 1885, when he turned 30 years old. He was assigned to the monastery as the cell attendant of the Venerable Elder Ambrose at the same time as the monk Nektarios, also a future elder.

Novice Alexander witnessed spiritual exploits and senile service recent years the life of the great elder Ambrose, when “all of Russia” came to his hut in the monastery. Just as a candle lights up from a candle, so Father Anatoly received the grace of eldership from the great elder. While still his cell attendant, the novice showed the grace-filled gifts of insight and love.

Archpriest Sergius Chetverikov, one of the chroniclers of Optina, recalled: “While still in the rank of hierodeacon, in 1905, he already attracted the attention and hearts of pilgrims with his attentive, loving listening to their sorrows and complaints.”

The village teacher Nina Vladimirovna remembers the first steps of Father Anatoly on the path of eldership:

“We once invited our friend Olga Konstantinovna Kesareva to Optina with us... She was reluctant: “Well, what’s in Optina now!” These were once the elders, but now they are no more!”... Several days passed, and she decided to take a walk. Dressed up, in a hat, in a red mantilla, she approached the monastery and sat down with a book on the stairs of the old man’s “hut.” The cell attendant came out with a bucket and went to the well to get water. “Where are you from, servant of God?” – asked humbly and affectionately. “Here they are, the vaunted monks, pestering you with questions,” the lady thought with anger and turned away in proud silence. And the monk Alexander, having collected water from the well, approaches again. And the servant of God himself begins to tell her who she is, where she is from, and reminds her of things that she would like to forget forever. “Oh,” the lady thinks, “that chatterbox Marya Mikhailovna (companion) has been babbling all about me.” And Father Alexander is already talking about something that not only Marya Mikhailovna - not a single living soul knew. At this point Olga Konstantinovna realized that in front of her was an extraordinary person. She fell to her knees in front of him and said enthusiastically: “You are a saint!” From then on, she began to have a different attitude towards the Optina monks, took off her flashy outfit, covered herself with a scarf and became an obedient disciple of the priest.”

“Today after the meal, the skete hieromonk Father Anatoly said goodbye to the brethren of the monastery, who, by order of the abbot’s father, was moving to the monastery with the appointment of being the confessor of the laity arriving in Optina Pustyn on pilgrimage.”

So Father Anatoly moved to the monastery, to a cell at the church in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Father received everyone without a time limit, despite endless fatigue, excruciating pain from a strangulated hernia, pain in bleeding legs.

Confession from the elder renewed and revived. “The monks, one after another, approached the elder with concentration and reverence. They knelt down, taking the blessing, and at that moment exchanged several in short phrases. Some went quickly, others were a little delayed. It was felt that the elder acted with fatherly love and authority. Sometimes he used external techniques. For example, he hit the forehead of a monk bowed before him, probably driving away obsessive attacks of thoughts. Everyone left calm, peaceful, and comforted. And this was done twice a day: morning and evening. Truly, “life” in Optina was carefree, and indeed, all the monks were tenderly tender, joyful or deeply concentrated. You need to see with your own eyes the result of the revelation of thoughts in order to understand its meaning,” wrote I.M. Kontsevich.

There are many known cases of the elder’s foresight. For many, he predicted future events in their lives: for one priest he predicted his place of service, for a nun - that she would go to Italy. One woman came with her son Demetrius, the elder wanted to bless him with the icon of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, but suddenly he said to himself: “No, that’s not it,” and blessed him with the icon of St. Demetrius of Donskoy, whose name the boy bore.

One day, a peasant who found himself in a difficult situation came to Elder Anatoly, who was left with his family without a roof over his head, having only 50 rubles of money to his name. He had nowhere to get help. Out of grief, he fell into despair, began to spin like a villager, and the first thing he did was decide to drink away the last of his money, leave his wife and children, and go to Moscow as a worker himself. Before doing this, I decided to go to Elder Anatoly. The elder blessed him and said: “Don’t lose heart, in three weeks you will enter your home.” And so it happened: through the elder’s prayers, the Lord helped him build a house and become a different person.

Like all the Optina elders, Father Anatoly had great gift healings, but performed them covertly, sending the sufferers, as a rule, to the source Venerable Paphnutius Borovsky or to the grave of Elder Ambrose or through some other thing. One spiritual daughter of an elder said that once her father sent a pear to her brother with her. She wondered why the youngest, but when she arrived, it turned out that his little brother was very sick and the doctors said that there was little hope. The brother began to eat the pear, small pieces at a time, and soon recovered. Another spiritual daughter told how she recovered, covering herself with a cassock given by her priest.

The Monk Anatoly was destined to witness the fulfillment of the formidable prophecies of the Optina elders. On January 23, 1918, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars, Optina Pustyn was officially closed. Monks were exiled, arrested, and mocked. In 1919, the rector of Optina, Father Isaac II, was arrested for the first time. Every day more and more alarming news and terrible rumors came. At the same time, the elder remained amazingly calm, thereby encouraging the monastic brethren.

When the spiritual children suggested that the Monk Anatoly leave Optina for a while, he responded with a decisive refusal: “So, at such a time, will I leave the holy monastery? Everyone will consider me a coward and say: when life was good, he said: be patient - God will not leave you; and when the test came, the first ran away. If they drive me away, then I will leave the holy monastery when there is no one there. I’ll go out last and pray and bow to the remains of the holy elders, then I’ll go.”

Later he talked about his trip to Kaluga: “How good it is there! What good people! When we were on the train, I was vomiting. We got there on foot, and there Vladyka Micah for some reason began to demand a horse. And why did he come up with this? All the brothers went, and we sat in the “check”. They smoked there, it was stuffy. I started vomiting and they sent me to the hospital, they thought I had typhus. They cut my hair there, but that’s okay – it’s much easier. The doctor, such a good one, said that he mistakenly thought I had typhus and ordered me to have my hair cut, and he was very apologetic. So good! The guard at the hospital is also very good... Father Ambrose had a sister - also very good... Yes, good people, good ones…

You know, the one who arrested me later said that he had arrested me by mistake, and asked me to forgive him and even kissed my hand. I said that it was nothing, that I was very glad that I went to Kaluga.” The old man described his prison trip to Kaluga, accompanied by a KGB convoy, the abuse and severe suffering, without grumbling or condemnation, with childish good-naturedness and complacency.

On July 29, 1922, an emergency commission arrived at the monastery. They interrogated the elder for a long time and wanted to take him away. The priest maintained a peaceful disposition and humbly asked to postpone the arrest for one day so that he could prepare for the journey. The security officers agreed, threatening the cell attendant so that the elder would be ready to leave the next day. After this, the Monk Anatoly retired to his cell and in prayer gave up his soul to God. The next morning the commission arrived. They asked the cell attendant: “Is the elder ready?” “Yes,” he answered, “I’m ready,” and opened the door of the cell for the visitors, in the middle of which there was already a coffin with the body of the deceased. So the Lord miraculously called to Himself His faithful servant, who fulfilled all His commands and commandments, deigning His saint to prayerfully prepare for his final journey on the last night and not allowing His chosen vessel to be violated.

The elder was honored to be buried next to his great mentor - the Monk Ambrose, in the very place where the Monk Anatoly himself wanted to be buried and two weeks before his death he stood for a long time, repeating: “But here it is quite possible to lay another one. Just a place for one grave. Yes, yes, just..."

According to eyewitnesses, the grave of Elder Anatoly after burial was fragrant with indescribable aromas for several days. The relics of the elder now rest in the Optina Church in honor of Vladimir icon Mother of God.

Reverend Father Anatoly, pray to God for us!

From a young age, Kaluga boy Alexander Potapov strove for a spiritual life, but his mother did not let him go to the monastery.

On February 15, 1885, shortly after the death of his mother, Alexander came to Optina Pustyn. Over time, novice Alexander became a cell attendant with Elder Ambrose.

After the death of Elder Joseph and Elder Barsanuphius, Elder Alexander, together with Elder Nektarios, became the successor of the Optina Eldership. If the brethren and intelligentsia sought to get to Elder Nektarios, then ordinary people with their sorrows and illnesses came to Elder Anatoly.

“Always humble and never discouraged” - the people affectionately called him “the comforter”, and also “the second Seraphim”... Many people always flocked to the elder for the blessing, for the unction, and for confession. In order not to disturb the brethren, Elder Anatoly from the fraternal corps moved to the vestibule of the Vladimir Church.

Open until late in the evening, the Vladimir Church was always crowded with people. Father received everyone without any time limit, despite endless fatigue and painful illnesses. The elder was always friendly, constantly affectionate, cordial, always ready to give himself to those who came to him for help.

One day, a peasant in a difficult situation came to Elder Anatoly for spiritual support, left with his family without a roof over his head, with only 50 rubles of money to his name. Elder Anatoly listened to the unfortunate man, blessed him and consoled him: “Don’t lose heart, in three weeks you will enter your home.” By the grace of God, through the prayers of the elder, this happened.

Much was revealed to the elder; he also foresaw the persecution of the church.

Elder Anatoly wrote to one of his spiritual children: “Fear the Lord, my son, be afraid of losing the crown prepared for you, stand in faith and, if necessary, endure exile and other sorrows, for the Lord will be with you.”

After Optina was closed, they came to the elder with a search, and the search was followed by an arrest. The sick old man was taken to prison, but on the way his condition worsened, and he ended up in the hospital. He was mistakenly taken for a typhoid patient, and his hair and beard were immediately cut off. When it turned out that the diagnosis was not confirmed, he was released.

Elder Anatoly returned to the monastery exhausted, but with a bright smile and thanks to the Lord on his lips.

On July 29, 1922, a GPU commission again visited the monastery. The interrogations began. The dying old man was also prepared for arrest. The righteous man asked for only a day's delay in order to prepare. At night he felt bad. They called the doctor, but he found nothing life-threatening. Towards morning, the cell attendant found the elder on his knees. Entering the cell a few minutes later, the cell attendant, Father Barnabas, realized that Elder Anatoly had quietly departed to the Lord.

The next morning the commission arrived. They got out of the car: “Is the elder ready?” “Yes, I’m ready,” answered Father Barnabas. And he let them into the cell.

He was buried near the grave of Elder Ambrose, in the very place where he stood for a long time two weeks before his death, repeating: “But here it’s quite possible to lay another one. Just a place for one grave. Yes, yes, just...”

“Rely on the will of the Lord, and the Lord will not shame you... Before your death you will thank God not for joy and happiness, but for grief and suffering, and the more of them there were in your life, the easier you will die, the lighter your soul will be yours to ascend to God” - this is how Elder Anatoly taught his children both in his life and in his blessed death.

– There are different types of pride. There is worldly pride - this is wisdom, and there is spiritual pride - this is self-love...

Our teacher is humility. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, and the grace of God is everything... There you have the greatest wisdom. So, humble yourself and say to yourself: “Although I am a grain of sand on the earth, the Lord also cares about me, and may God’s will be done to me.” Now, if you say this not only with your mind, but also with your heart, and really boldly, as befits a true Christian, you rely on the Lord, with the firm intention of meekly submitting to the will of God, whatever it may be, then the clouds will dissipate before you, and the sun will come out and will illuminate you and warm you, and you will know true joy from the Lord, and everything will seem clear and transparent to you, and you will stop tormenting, and your soul will feel at ease...

That’s why life has become difficult because people have confused it with their wisdom, that instead of turning to God for help, they began to turn to their minds for help and rely on it... Do not be afraid of grief, suffering, or any trials : all these are visits from God, they are good for you...

So you are asking the fastest way to humility. Of course, first of all, we must recognize ourselves as the weakest worm, unable to do anything good without the gift of the Holy Spirit from our Lord Jesus Christ, given through the prayer of ours and our neighbors and by His mercy...

Live simply, according to your conscience, always remember that the Lord sees, and don’t pay attention to the rest!

Prophecy about the fate of Russia:

There will be a storm, and the Russian ship will be destroyed. Yes, it will happen, but people also save themselves on chips and debris. Not all, not all will perish... He will not forsake those who trust in Him. We must pray, we must all repent and pray fervently... And there will be calm (after the storm)... a great miracle of God will be revealed, yes. And all the chips and fragments, by the will of God and His power, will gather and unite, and the ship will be recreated in its beauty and will go on its course, intended by God. So it will be, a miracle revealed to everyone.

Reverend Anatoly of Optina, pray to God for us!

The holy relics of St. Anatoly are in the Vladimir Church

The Monk Anatoly of Optina (Zertsalov) lived seventy years and was a contemporary of several Optina elders. The Lord arranged it so wisely that the Optina monks were pupils of the elders, and then themselves mentors. They passed the baton of eldership, so that this blessed miracle was not stopped in Optina for more than a hundred years: from 1829 - the arrival of Elder Leo, the founder of the Optina eldership, to Optina, until the closure of the monastery in 1923 and the martyrdom of the earthly journey in the thirties of the last Optina elders of that time: St. Nikon and St. Isaac II.

Father Anatoly came to Optina in 1853 and was a student of the Optina elders Macarius (for seven years, until the death of Father Macarius in 1860) and the Monk Ambrose, who was 12 years older than Father Anatoly. These years were the heyday of senility in Optina Pustyn; it was truly a spiritual paradise for people seeking senile care. At this time, the venerable schema-archimandrite Moses and his brother, schema-abbot Anthony, and hieroschemamonk Hilarion lived in Optina. But even among these great ascetics, the name of St. Anatoly the Elder (Zertsalov) does not fade, is not lost. What was his route to Optina?

The Monk Anatoly was born in the world Alexey Zertsalov, in 1824 in the family of a deacon who served in the church of the village of Bobyli, Kaluga province, and was named in holy baptism in honor of Saint Alexey, the man of God. Like many Optina elders, he was brought up in severity and piety, justifying the words: “The prayer of parents builds the homes of children.” The parents wanted to see their son become a monk, and Alexey successfully completed theological school and then the seminary in Kaluga. The young man was not particularly strong in health; at the age of fourteen, due to illness, he missed a year of study, and then almost went to the hermits in the Roslavl forests, among these hermits were the future Optina monks Moses and Anthony.

After graduating from the seminary, the young man was offered several priestly positions, but the Lord judged him to have a different lot. In the meantime, he lived at home, served in the government chamber, and went on pilgrimages. With sister Anna they visited St. Sergius Radonezhsky, then we stopped at Khotkovo, where they liked it so much that the sister stayed in this monastery.

Perhaps Alexei’s path to Optina would have been longer, but the Lord, “by their own destinies,” made this path more direct and faster. Alexey falls ill with tuberculosis, in those days this disease was considered fatal. And the young man made a vow: if he recovered, he would enter a monastic monastery. “To him who loves God, all things work for the good,” and now Alexei was lovingly received in 1853 by the rector and elder of Optina, the Venerable Moses.

Parents blessed young man on the monastic path, he was twenty-nine years old at that time. Elder Macarius said to the mother of the future monk: “Blessed are you, good woman, for sending your son on such a good path!” From that day on, the Venerable Elder Macarius began to guide the spiritual life of the young novice. He fell in love with him and taught him the Jesus Prayer himself. The young novice went far into the forest and prayed there in solitude.

Over time, sensing the approach of infirmities and death, Father Macarius blessed him to seek advice from the Venerable Elder Ambrose. Spiritual maturation occurs in different ways, and the Lord himself provides for his chosen ones. Only ten years later, in 1862, novice Alexey was tonsured into a mantle with the name Anatoly. By this time he was already in obedience to the Monk Ambrose. And he was one of his very first students.

These ten years were very difficult for the young novice. Elder Macarius saw the gifts of the future elder and led him along the narrow path of trials and hardships in order to strengthen the ascetic and create in him a good monastic dispensation.

Alexei was very neat and loved cleanliness, and so as not to become attached to vain and material things, he was constantly transferred from cell to cell, fostering a wandering dispensation. Elder Ambrose used to say: “We must live on earth as a wheel turns, just one point touches the ground, and the rest tends upward; and even if we lie down, we can’t get up.” They will put Alexei in his cell, he will clean it up, bring cleanliness and order, and arrange his favorite spiritual books. And he will immediately be transferred to a new cell, and he needs to start all over again. He humbled himself and didn’t mind. He took his modest belongings: icons, felt, books and moved to a new place of residence.

The Monk John Climacus said that he saw novices who spent the whole day in obedience, in work, and then, standing in prayer, were filled with Divine light. These words came true for the young novice. Given his poor health, he had to perform difficult obedience in the kitchen. These physical labors were unusual, and there was very little time left for rest. He slept little, and only in the kitchen, right on the firewood.

But he made progress in prayer, so that when the monastery was visited by the Right Reverend Ignatius Brianchaninov, who wished to talk with one of the monks who had experienced the patristic teaching about the Jesus Prayer, he was pointed to Alexei, who at that time was a hierodeacon. Ignatius Brianchaninov could not help but express his surprise that he had met such a young and educated monk, experienced in spiritual matters. Father Alexey, in the simplicity of his soul, conveyed these words of the Right Reverend to his elder Macarius.

AND Venerable Macarius In front of everyone, he beat the young monk with a stick, saying: “Oh, you scoundrel, you imagined that he was so good! After all, the Eminence... out of courtesy told you so, and you fooled your ears, thinking that it was true!” With shame and pain in his heart the monk went home. And without him, Father Macarius explained to those around him: “After all, how can you not get through? He is an attentive, intelligent, educated monk, and now, respected by such people. How long will it take to become proud?

Later, perhaps remembering this incident, the Monk Anatoly will write about acquiring humility: “I tell you the best remedy acquire humility. This is this: endure every pain that pricks a proud heart... Start like this and you will see... The main thing is that you don’t understand that this pain, this sharpest sting that pricks the sensitivity of the heart, is the real one source of God's mercies and humility. The mercy of God is hidden in them.”

After the death of Elder Macarius in 1860, the Monks Ambrose and Anatoly, having lost their beloved elder and mentor, became very close to each other. Later, Elder Ambrose began to send the Monk Anatoly to the monastery hotel to console the mourners. And when I saw perspicacious old man that the student was ripe to instruct others in spiritual work, he began to gradually introduce him to the work of old age, preparing his closest collaborator and assistant. In 1870, the Monk Anatoly was ordained to the rank of hieromonk, he was forty-six years old.

And the very next year he received the appointment of rector of the Spaso-Orlovsky Monastery with elevation to the rank of archimandrite. But love for his native Optina and Elder Ambrose forced him to refuse the honorary appointment. The Monk Ambrose asked him first to be his assistant, then to become the dean of the monastery. The humble Father Anatoly accepted all assignments out of obedience to his beloved elder, never was vain of power, and did not demand honor for himself. And in 1874, at the age of fifty, for obedience to the Monk Ambrose, Father Anatoly accepted the position of head of the monastery. He continued to treat Elder Ambrose with respect and became his direct superior. One day, Father Ambrose, having talked with Father Anatoly, who stood in front of him, as always, out of respect, on his knees, called one person to him and, pointing to the Monk Anatoly, said: “I recommend: my boss,” thereby teaching a lesson in humility and obedience.

As a confessor and monastery director, the Monk Anatoly lovingly cared for the brethren, not only about their spiritual progress, but also about their everyday needs. When Father Ambrose was contacted about the affairs of the monastery, he sent everyone to Father Anatoly, to his boss, as he called him. And Father Anatoly sent his spiritual children on all important issues to Father Ambrose for advice. Elder Ambrose always asked in such cases: “What did Anatoly say?” And he always took into account the opinion of Father Anatoly. Thus, unanimity and love reigned between the two elders.

Elder Ambrose entrusted the venerable Anatoly with the care of the newly created Shamordino women's monastery. The Monk Ambrose more than once told the sisters: “I rarely take you to my place (for a conversation), because I am calm about you: you are with Father Anatoly.” When a church was established in Shamordino, Father Anatoly himself taught the sisters the rules of Divine services, brought them the Typikon, taught the sisters to sing and perform the Pentecentre (monastic prayer rule).

Elder Anatoly possessed all the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: the gift of insight and spiritual reasoning, healing of mental and physical ailments. The wise spiritual guidance and advice of St. Anatoly were spiritual beads for those thirsty for elder care:

“It’s obvious that you are trying and want to be saved, but you don’t know how, you don’t understand spiritual life. The whole secret here is to endure what God sends. And you won’t see how you enter heaven.”

“Consider yourself worse than everyone else, and you will be better than everyone else.”

“...Your patience should not be unreasonable, that is, joyless, but patience with reason - that the Lord sees all your deeds, your very soul, as we look into the face of a loved one... Sees and tests: what kind of person you will turn out to be in sorrows? If you endure, you will be His beloved. And if you do not endure and grumble, but repent, you will still be His beloved.”

“Every prayer to God is profitable. And what exactly - we don’t know about it. He is the One righteous Judge, and we can recognize lies as truth. Pray and believe."

“...I’ll tell you a secret, I’m telling you the best way to find humility. This is what it is: endure any pain that pricks a proud heart. And wait day and night for mercy from the All-Merciful Savior. Those who wait like that will certainly receive it.”

“Learn to be meek and silent, and you will be loved by everyone. And open feelings are the same as open gates: both the dog and the cat run there... and they shit.”

“We are obliged to love everyone, but we do not dare demand that they love us”

The Monk Anatoly served the nuns of the Shamordino monastery for twenty-one years. The sisters addressed the Monk Ambrose as an elder, and the Monk Anatoly as a father who knew all their needs, all their sorrows and temptations. With the blessing of Father Ambrose, the Monk Anatoly also spiritually cared for the nuns of a number of dioceses: Kaluga, Moscow, Smolensk, Tula, Oryol, Kursk. Being himself an ardent man of prayer, a doer of the Jesus Prayer, he taught this to his spiritual children.

ABOUT great power Saint Ambrose himself testified to the prayers of Elder Anatoly: “He was given such prayer and grace as is given to one in a thousand.” The Monk Anatoly had an unusually merciful and compassionate character. If he learned about someone's grief, he became so worried that he began to have a terrible headache. And then his heart began to hurt... That is why, according to the doctors, he began to have heart disease and pulmonary edema. The health of Father Anatoly was greatly undermined by the death of his beloved mentor and associate, St. Ambrose in 1891, after which St. Anatoly lived only three years. Spiritual orphanhood was hard for him.

Doctors recommended him to undergo treatment and advised him to take walks in the fresh air. But the old man’s feet began to swell and could no longer fit into his shoes. And I had to stop walking. The elder endured his illness patiently and humbly. On December 15, 1893, he secretly accepted the schema, which only his confessor, Father Gerontius, and several close people knew about, and became a schema-monk. Just three and a half months after this, on January 25, 1894, in the seventy-first year of his life, while reading the funeral service, Elder Anatoly quietly died the death of a righteous man. Until his death, he did not abandon the Jesus Prayer, either teaching instructions about it in a weakening voice, or whispering it with already numb lips. Many of the elder’s spiritual children saw him after his death in a dream: now comforting, now confessing, now healing, and after these dreams they felt consolation, joy, and many, healing from spiritual and physical ailments.

In 1996, the Monk Anatoly the Elder (Zertsalov) was canonized as a locally revered Saint of Optina Pustyn, and in August 2000 - by the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church glorified for church-wide veneration. The relics of St. Anatoly rest in the Vladimir Church of Optina Pustyn.

Brief life of St. Anatoly I of Optina (Zertsalov)

The Most Rev. Ana-to-liy (in the world Alek-sey Mo-i-se-e-vich Zer-tsa-lov) was born on March 24, 1824 in the world -mye dia-ko-na, a servant-living in the temple of the village of Bo-bye-li Ka-luzh-government. The birth of your son in order and goodness, hoping that over time he will become takes the path of serving God.

After the end of the Ka-Luga spiritual se-mi-na-riy, Aleksey went to serve in the Ka-zen-nu-pa-la-tu, but soon he became seriously ill. At that time, for a while, the disease was considered fatal, and Alexei made a vow: if the Lord heals him, then -he has a mo-na-she-skiy haircut.

The Lord gave him life, and soon, in July 1853, having received the birth of a blessing, he came he's in Op-ti-well, damn. The old man said ma-te-ri bu-du-sche-inno-ka: “Bla-go-slo-ven-na you, good woman, that’s good for you.” The best way to get away from my son!” From that day on, the venerable old man Ma-kariy began to guide the spiritual life of the youth in a listening manner . Over time, sensing the approach of infirmities and death, he blessedly said to turn for advice to pre-excellent old man.

On November 17, 1862, brother Aleksey was shorn into a mantle with the name Ana-to-liy. By this time, he was already in the service of Pres. Amvro-siya.

From the very first years of his presence in the abode, the life of the future pre-precious old man Ana-to-lia was -I will sacredly work for the benefit of my neighbors. When he worked in the kitchen, he didn’t even have time to sleep, and he had to sleep on the firewood. And in order to pray, to be in rare free moments, alone with God and your conscience, when the elk went away into the forest... Later, the old man Am-vro-siy began to send the venerable Ana-to-liy to mo-na- styr-skaya go-sti-ni-tsu to console the bereaved. And when the insightful old man saw that the student was ripe enough to instruct others in spiritual matters , then he began to gradually introduce him into the old man’s work, in order to get the closest work and power -ka.

In 1870, the Reverend Ana-to-liy was ordained to the rank of hiero-mo-na-ha, and already in the next year got-to-know-what-at-the-station-of-the-spa-so-Or-lov-sko-go-at-station with-ve-de-n-em in san ar-hi-mand-ri-ta. But love for dear Op-ti-noy and elder Am-vro-siy for-sta-vi-la from-even-to-know-what nia. Pre-respectable Am-vro-siy you asked him to sleep in a powerful place, then in a blessed sanctuary. And since 1874, for his obedience to the elder, the most honorable Am-vro-siy, the honorable Ana-to-liy received ness ski-to-chal-ni-ka. Elder Am-vro-siy also gave him charge of the care of the newly-created Sha-mor-din women's abode. The Reverend Am-vro-siy more than once told his sisters: “I rarely take you to my place (for a meeting), because that I am for you: you are with Father Ana-to-li-em.”

The great Ana-to-liy had an unusually sweet, co-operative character. If he found out about someone’s grief, he would become so worried that he would have a terrible headache. And then my heart hurts...

Taking charge of Sha-mor-din, he entered into all aspects of his sisters’ lives, and he himself taught them the rules of God’s service. . But still, he had the first question to his spiritual daughters: “Do you have everything?” At twenty-one years old, he was for the foreigner Sha-mor-di-na a devoted, endlessly loving father and mentor.

About the great power Elder Ana-to-liya prayed for, the great Elder Am-vro-siy himself testified: “To him ta-kaya da-na mo-lit-va and b-go-da-da, ka-kaya edi-no-mu from you-sya-chi-da-et-sya.” With particular love, the Reverend Ana-to-liy spoke about the prayer of Jesus, he said that the truth This prayer should not be born under the influence of good reading and singing, but be the fruit of a great of work, daring and love for God.

The most venerable Ana-to-liy gave all the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: the gift of vision and spirit how-to judge, cure mental and physical ailments. With a few words, filled with love and spiritual experience, he knew how to comfort a grieving soul, -shouldn't warn you about the coming horrors, preparing for imminent death.

The end of the old man of Am-vro-sia on October 10, 1891 for the health of his beloved student: so He experienced his orphanhood so deeply and hard that he was seized by a fatal illness.

The great Ana-to-liy began to fade away. Meek and humble, but he endures the disease. On December 15, 1893, he secretly accepted the schema.

January 25/February 7, 1894, the venerable old man Ana-to-liy sat quietly while reading from . He was buried at the walls of the Vve-den-sko-go-bo-ra, next to the loved-we-teach-me-teachers and mentors. no way.

Complete life of St. Anatoly I of Optina (Zertsalov)

The Reverend Ana-to-liy Op-tinsky (senior) lived for seventy years and was contemporary with several Optin-skiy elders. tsev. The Lord arranged it so wisely that the Op-Tin elders were kind enough to raise the elders, and then yourself on-sta-n-ka-mi. They re-da-va-li es-ta-fe-tu old-che-stva, so this blessed miracle did not pre-se-ka-los in Op-ti-noy more than a hundred years: from 1829 - the arrival of an old man to Op-ti-nu, the os-but-va-te-la of the Op-tin-old-old-ness, until the closure of the mo-na-sta-rya in 1923 and the many-no-windows of the earth's path in the thirties I gave the following names to the Optin elders of that time: the Most Excellent and the Most Excellent Isa-a-kiya II.

Father Ana-to-liy came to Op-ti-nu in 1853 and was a teacher of the elders of Op-ti-na (seven years, until his death -ti father Ma-ka-ria in 1860) and pre-do-no-go, who was older than father Ana-to-lia by two-twenty years. These years were the years of blossoms of old age in the Op-ti-noy desert, it was a truly spiritual paradise for people looking for elderly care. At this time, in Op-ti-noy lived the pre-similar skhi-ar-hi-mand-rit Mo-i-sey and his brother, skhi-i-gu-men An-to- niy, jeros-hi-mo-nah Ila-ri-on. But even among these great movers, the name of the great Ana-tolia of old is not dim, not lost. she-go (Zer-tsa-lo-va). What was his path to Op-ti-nu?

Mo-lit-va ro-di-te-ley so-zi-da-et do-ma de-tei

The venerable Ana-to-liy was born into the world Alek-sey Ko-pyev, in 1824 into the family of Dya-ko-na, serving in the temple of the village of Bo-li Ka-Luga province, and was named in Holy Baptism in honor of Saint Alexy, what -lo-ve-ka of God. Like many Optin elders, he was raised in order and goodness, justifying the words: “Mo -lit-va ro-di-te-ley so-zi-da-et do-ma de-tei.”

When Alexey was half-five years old, his father began teaching his son a degree. He grew up as a smart and capable child and very soon he learned ABC, after which they began to teach him how to read Cha-so- words and Psal-ti-ri.

The boy loved to go to God’s temple and stood quietly under the ma-te-ri. The father wanted his son to read the clique, but he didn’t have to do this: the boy had a very quiet and weak voice. Before, the book was a great companion for him. Being loving and cheerful, he was also kind to others. Whether they give him gifts or toys, he will soon give it all away, either to his sisters or to other children he knows.

Studying in a spiritual school and se-mi-na-rii

Did you want to see your son as a foreigner and at the age of seven he was sent to study at the Bo-rovskoye Spiritual School -teacher. After four years of training, Aleksey successfully graduated from this school, and then studied at a se-mi-na-riy in Ka-lu- ge. The young man’s health was not particularly affected. In seven days I often suffered from sleeplessness. At such moments, especially in the spring, he sat down on the window, and already then more than once his thought was carried away to quiet foreign Che-sky ob-te-lyam. In his free hours, he often took care of Ka-lu-gu on Mount Vyr-ku. There he sat for a long time alone in his thoughts.

At the age of four, because of illness, I missed a year of studying, and then almost went to the deserts in the Ros-Lavla forests. Sa, among these deserts there were also the future Optin-like pre-similar Mo-i-sey and An-to-niy. He had already moved several miles away from Ka-lu-ga, but a strong thunderstorm arose and heavy rain began to fall, and he returned back , seeing in these manifestations of the formidable forces of nature the formation of God's bringing-of-the-of-the-nation on his path . He graduated from the Se-mi-na-riy course as a third student, and in the Se-mi-na-rii he had a different fa-mi-lia, A mirror, and in front of him a wide range of life opened up, so attractive to young souls.

Modest and strict in life

After the end of the seventh year, the young man came before several sacred places, but the Lord judged him by another priest. beat. In the meantime, he lived at home, served in Ka-zen-noy Pa-la-ta, went to the pa-lom-no-thing-stations. With his sister Anna, they visited the great Sergius Ra-do-tenderly, then they went to Khotko -where they liked it so much that a young man persuaded his sister to come to this monastery. A young, seven-year-old girl listened to her brother, her mother was happy with her blessings. . Subsequently, Father Ana-to-liy, you valued your sister’s obedience and cared about her all your life , re-led her to Sha-mor-di-no, where she, five years after the death of her brother, was in the schema with the name Av- thick and died.

And he himself served for some time in Ka-zen-noy pa-la-te. Having received a pity, he dealt with his family, was still modest and strict in life, loved by everyone -my and respect-e-my. Handsome in appearance, neat in clothes, even in character, he was a consolation for his relatives when -I went to them. His mother also visited him often and always heard a lot of praise for her son. He ran away from public amusements, and if he were on a visit, then with a large choice, and there he made additional -roe ve-i-nie.

Once upon a time he was visiting someone, where something was wrong in the apartment: were things going wrong? well, what the guest also witnessed, who co-served mo-le-ben in order to get rid of these phenomenon. They listened to him, and these incidents stopped.

The young man continued to think about his mother. Often and diligently he went to pray to God in the temples, and his mother, when she came in the morning, was always there for him. la: he was leaving for early mass. I loved to go to the cathedral, I stood up so that I could better hear ahead, but when new gods came -please, he moved away and, finally, always found himself at the door, giving space to others.

They are the ones who are destined

Perhaps, Aleksey’s path to Op-ti-nu would have been longer, but the Lord “was destined by them” to make this path more straight -my and fast. The young man looked for lies in prayer and waited for a clearer indication of God's will, which is what happened . And it happened, as always, unnoticed and naturally: how the Lord appeared to Elijah not in a thunderstorm and a storm, but in a quiet I-nii-ve-ter-ka, so here too the will of God for his entry into the monastery came close in ordinary circumstances. aspects of his life.

Alek-say falls ill with tuberculosis, at that time this illness was considered fatal. With him, together for-bo-le-li two to-va-ri-sha-chi-new-ni-ka. And the young man made a vow: in the event of his health, he would go to the monastery. So soon both of them died, but the future Opinsky old man turned right. Upon recovery, he left the service. “I love God, everything is more and more for the good,” and now Aleksey with love meets in 1853 I'm here and the old man is Op-ti-noy, the venerable Mo-i-sey.

Blessed are you, good woman, on such a good path from your son!

Ro-di-te-bla-go-slo-vi-vi-yo-lo-do-go-man on a foreign path, he was twenty at that time nine years. Educated, good-natured, meek and old-fashioned, he was received with love by the father of the ar-hi-mand. ri-tom Mo-i-se-em. The old man said ma-te-ri bu-du-sche-inno-ka: “Bla-go-slo-ven-na you, good woman, that’s good for you.” The best way to get away from my son!” From that day on, the venerable old man Ma-kariy began to guide the spiritual life of the youth in a listening manner . He loved him and taught Jesus prayer himself. The young novice went off into the forest and prayed there in solitude.

The narrow path is used and difficult

Spiritual vision proceeds in different ways, and the Lord himself thinks about his battles . Only ten years later, in 1862, novice Aleksey was shorn into a mantle with the name Ana-to-lia. Over time, sensing the approach of infirmities and death, Father Ma-kariy blessed him to turn around For advice, go to the great old man. So by this time he was already in the hearing of Rev. Amvro-siya. And he was one of his very first students.

These ten years would have been very difficult for the young listeners. The old man Ma-kariy matured the gift of the future old man and led him along a narrow path, trying and trying to keep the movement moving and create a good, different dispensation in it.

Aleksey was very neat and loved cleanliness, and him, so as not to get tied to su-et-no-mu and ma-te-ri -al-no-mu, sto-yang-but per-re-in-di-li from cell to cell, re-enacting the country's dispensation-e- tion. Elder Am-vro-siy go-va-ri-val: “We must live on the earth as it turns, just at one point ka-sa -is on the ground, and the rest is striving upward; and even if we fall down, we can’t get up.” They put Aleksey in the cell, he stays there, keeps it clean and in order, arranges his loved ones. spiritual books. And he is immediately transferred to a new cell, and everything needs to get back to normal. He humbled himself and did not protest. He took his modest belongings: iko-noch-ki, how-lok, books and moved to a new place of residence.

But this also served to create experience. Later, in a letter to one of his spiritual vo-pi-tan-nits, Fr. Ana-to-liy will be able to find for mo-na-hi-ni, is-ku-sha-e-my the same inconvenience words of consolation: for that why is this so that the soul remembers where its real, eternal home is, and strives for the Father? to Heaven. And the reward for the patience of the foreigner was the nurturing of the great Optin elders.

The monk endured all the difficulty and tried to follow all the instructions of the elders. In agreement with them, he not only did not go to other people’s cells, but also did not accept anyone to himself. One new inhabitant of the ski-ta, from the military, somehow lived very nicely with Father Ana-to-liy and wanted to be- to hang out in his cell. He gave him a va-re-nya, persuaded him, but he, however, in no way agreed to destroy the old For-after all, don’t walk around cells and don’t receive guests.

Later, the old man Am-vro-siy began to send the pre-extra-no-go Ana-to-liy to the mo-na-Styr-skaya go-sti-ni-tsu to console him quickly -bya-shih. And when the insightful old man saw that the student was ripe enough to instruct others in spiritual matters , then he began to gradually introduce him into the old man’s work, in order to get the closest work and power -ka. In 1870, the Reverend Ana-to-liy was ordained to the rank of hiero-mo-na-kha, he was forty-six years old.

And the very next year he received an indication of the Spa-so-Orlov-sko-go-na- sty-rya with voz-ve-de-ni-em in the san ar-hi-mand-ri-ta. But love for dear Op-ti-noy and elder Am-vro-siy for-sta-vi-la from-even-to-know-what nia. Pre-respectable Am-vro-siy you asked him to sleep in a powerful place, then in a blessed sanctuary.

Modesty and humility

The humble father Ana-to-liy took all the knowledge from his obedience to the love of the old man, never in vain -glory to the power. He himself subsequently said that, according to his knowledge, many people did not know about this for a long time. One day he was walking and saw that the brothers were doing something wrong. Father Ana-liy made a vy-vo-thief, and in response he asked a question: what do you care? And they were very embarrassed when someone who came quickly told them that this was a noble one. Would you ask for forgiveness, and so that he would not say ar-hi-mand-ri-tu.

Father Ana-to-liy didn’t tell father-tsu ar-hi-mand-ri-tu, and in general he didn’t start anything before or from the misdeeds of the brotherhood, asked the co-ve-ta from Father Am-vro-siya. In general, he didn’t like to show off, and didn’t demand anything from himself. And for a very long time, being already a hiero-mo-na-khom, he continued to receive tea from the hiero-dya-ko-na.

Re-co-men-duyu: my boss-nickname

And in 1874, at the age of five years, Father Ana- that's the position of ski-to-chal-ni-ka. He continued to respectfully approach Elder Am-vro-siy and became his direct superior. One day, Father Am-vro-siy spoke with Father Ana-to-li-em, standing in front of him as always, from reading, on his knees, called one special person to him and, pointing to the pre-excellent Ana-to-lia , said: “Re-co-men-du-du: my boss,” teaching this a lesson in humility and obedience.

What did Father Ana-to-liy say?

According to the spirit of the talking about the brethren, and not only about their spiritual success, but also about their everyday needs. When the ski-ta came to Father Am-vro-siy about business, he sent everyone to Father Ana-to-liy, to his at first, as he called him. And Father Ana sent his spiritual children on all important issues to Father Amvrosius for advice. Elder Am-vro-siy in such cases always asked: “What did Father Anatoly say?” And you always taught him his opinion. In this way, between two old men, there is soul and love.

Nurturing Sha-mor-din-skoy ob-te-li

Elder Am-vro-siy helped Ana-to-lya and cared for the newly-created Sha-mor-din’s wife -sky obi-te-li. He told his sisters more than once: “I rarely take you to my place (for a meeting), because I am ready for you: you with father Ana-to-li-em.” Elder Am-vro-siy often noted that Father Anatoly was given a special gift to console the young.

When a church was established in Sha-mor-di-no, Father Ana-to-liy himself taught the sisters the rules of God’s service, brought im Ti-pi-kon, taught my sister to sing, to do five-hundred-ni-tsu (my-na-she-pra-lit-ve-noe-pra-vi-lo).

For twenty-one years the Reverend Ana-to-liy served in the villages of the Sha-mor-din oblast. The sisters addressed the Most Excellent Amvro as an old man, and the Most Excellent Anatoliy as an old man. -tsu, who knew all their needs, all their sorrows and trials. According to the blessing of the father of Am-vro-sia, the pre-similar Ana-spirit also nurtured the same mo-na-hin whole- a number of dioceses: Kaluga, Moscow, Smolensk, Tula, Oryol, Kursk.

Spiritual leadership is not an easy task, and even more difficult is nurturing women’s monasteries. It would be necessary to be so-hundred-precisely skilled, so that, when you unravel the “knots” of the spiritual battle, you would not thread of the soul, do not offend by harshness and do not succumb to frustration when the fruits of movement have not yet been seen .

And no matter how father Ana-to-liy ran away from the world, no matter how secluded he was from female society, all his life he had to worry and to die in public, and to work a lot for wives' life. And his works on the good arrangement of internal life in the new-in-os-but-bath abode of Sha-mor-di-but not only to deeply in-te-res-ny in general, but also as teachers for the future for many, both foreigners and -mikh ino-kin.

And you are entrusted with worrying about souls

Spo-mov-ni-tsa-mi old-tsu Am-vro-siyu and neza-bven-ny-mi per-vo-na-chal-ni-tsa-mi Sha-mor-din-skoy obi-te-li there was mother Am-vro-sia, mother Sophia and mother Ev-fro-si-nia. The last one was similar to both of their elders and the number after them. And the first two were still alive while both of their elders were alive. The last ma-tush-ka-igu-me-niya Ev-fro-si-niya was a hundred-yang-no-noy with-mov-no-cey father Ana-to-lia and death of the elder Am-vro-siya.

Ana-to-liy’s father was a straight-up ha-rak-te-ra person, so was Sophia’s mother, and they both deeply respected each other. Mother Sophia always spoke with deep reverence about her father Ana-to-lia. She has said more than once that a good monk has nothing to do with the -mo-go blah-vo-pi-tan-no-go ari-sto-kra-ta. But there is a difference between them, and a big one: an ari-hundred-of-times keeps himself this way out of decency, and an exemplary monk - out of conviction and love for neighbors. And as an example for pod-ra-zha-niya pointing in this case to Father Ana-to-liy. When mother Sophia became a hundred-I-tel-no-tsei, she said to Father Ana-to-liy: “Bah-tyush-ka! I take care of the housework, and you are entrusted with the care of souls.”

Unforgettable consolation

Mother Sophia was always happy to see Father Anatolya. And to the sisters, who sometimes talked about something these days, in consolation they said: “Is it possible to quickly -what? This day father Ana-to-liy will come. Walking with my father was a great consolation for everyone, something that brightened up the difficult life of the first village obi-te-li, life, pro-in-di-mu in hard work and work.

Among the sisters there was a memory of one of those pro-hum-loks and that conversation they had. Mother Sophia asked: “What would Sarah’s mother tell us, who didn’t come out of the cave for thirty years, so that should I look at nature? To this, Father Ana-to-liy said this: “All spas have their own way, I feel more with those saints who -those loved ones, such as: the great Ser-giy of Ra-do-nezh-sky, Sav-va Zve-ni-go-rod-sky, the great -like An-to-niy and Fe-o-do-siy; they are the most beautiful places for their occupants because of what a person can do “Let’s go to God.”

This is not a father, but a tender mother to his children

At first, in Sha-mor-di-no se-ster there were about twenty-something, all young, you worked a lot Well, there are a lot of sorrows, and besides, fear has creeped in: will a monastery be established here? The sisters do the work themselves, you do all the work yourself and are often depressed. Father Anatoliy, when he arrived, kept their spirits high and often inspired them with his example. One day the sisters unpacked the cart and cried, tired of the unusual work. Father Anatoly came, took a pitchfork and began to talk about it: it was as if the despondency had not happened. Sometimes he would bring mint spices to the workers, or a bar-nok of op-tinskikhs: this is how the old man-movie comforted shal of young explorers of the mountains of the world.

When did the sisters, living in the forest on the da-che, get bored and afraid of fear: they thought that someone walks around the house, roars, the old man served mo-le-ben and co-read the prayer to Jesus more often woo; the sisters followed him and calmed down. When the sisters complained about the eldest or did not la-di between themselves, the old man took part in their grief, resolving bi-ral, calmed down and instructed how to proceed in order to avoid trouble.

Igu-men-nya Sophia spoke about him: “This is not a father, but a tender mother to his children.” And the sisters remembered: “Not knowing anything better and higher than other life, he usually persuaded young people to -stepped into the monastery and, with a special fatherly love, began to worry about these not yet established and unexpected -reveying their chicks.” Many of the sisters remained in the monastery only because of the power of his influence on them.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Elder Ana-to-liy gave all the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: the gift of insight and spirit of judgment, treatment of mental and physical ailments. He knew about the death of his close spiritual children, their illnesses and adversity, and carefully warned those who someone was approaching a test. The recollection of his spiritual children is full of descriptions of similar events. Mention some people. For a long time he warned one foreigner and one foreigner about the conditions that awaited them; one girl discovered imminent death, and another woman had a disease in her legs, and was expecting about the upcoming trials. ni-yah and from-re-she-nii from the sorrows that have befallen.

There was such a case. There was only one young girl left in the monastery; The relatives, having learned about this, got angry and turned away from her. The mother was there, but, having seen the firm decision before, she left that same day, not wanting to be with her forgive; Feeling that she was orphaned and alone, the young mover became confused in spirit and, bitterly for-crying, - she went to see Father Ana-to-liy. Sitting in the reception area, a few minutes later she hear-ha-la behind the door in the co-ri-do-re sleep-cha-la step-gi, and then go- Los, singing: My father and my mother leave me, the Lord will accept me... (). At the same time, the door opened and in the door appeared the most venerable Ana-to-liy, bright, joyful. It is undeniable that the elder from above discovered what had happened, and he expressed its meaning in the words of a psalm.

In the very outer-ness of the old man, his spiritual strength and your prayerful attitude were felt -nie. Yes, in the little things one could see his amazing humility; the zeal of the spirit and his modesty were alien to both man-pleasing and the sight of su-ro-vo-go no movement.

He was very trusting and, treating everyone simply, never saw anyone lying or deceiving him. Often, having listened to someone's story about his sorrows, he took it close to his heart and grieved about this person -we-ke. Sometimes someone will say to him: “Bah, are they telling you the truth?” Ba-tyush answered: “Why are they going to talk about me?”

He could not stand ceremonies and flattery, he loved directness and frankness, and he himself was very direct. In his simple manner, he very much resembled the old man Leo, to whom he faithfully supported. Father Am-vro-siy spoke about him in the words of Evan-ge-lia: “This is from-ra-il-ty-nin, there is no flattery in him.”

It is impossible to describe the kindness and love of Father Anatoly for his neighbors - he was ready to lay down his soul for others; He suffered a lot from people, but he was never afraid that they would say bad things about him, but was glad when he heard which is unprofitable, saying: “If only God had done the truth.” Sometimes he said: “It doesn’t matter to me what they say about me, it’s true, above all, the saint said that he asked God for two-twenty years to give him a simple hundred; but I’ve been trying for seventeen years and I can’t tread on it for the sake of people’s opinions.”

With great love, I remember Elder Ana-to-lia, my father spoke to his ke-lei-ni-ku (Be-la-e-vu) : “He loved God as only one could love Him. And this feeling was felt by everyone who came to him. He had no enemies, he loved everyone, even those who didn’t love him: he seemed to love them more than others.” .

K.N. Leon-tyev knew Ana-toly’s father well, considering him one of his own personalities among the villagers obi-te-li. Rejoicing in the wisdom of the elder Am-vro-siya, he wrote: “There were spirits here who were simpler than him with the heart: for example, Father Ana-to-liy, ski-to-chal-nick. This, as one of his po-chi-ta-te-leys calls him, is a huge di-cha (with a heart, ha-rak-te-rom). Passionate, pitiful, infinitely kind, trusting to the point of naivety, without any -native cunning and dexterity, and not only not stupid and not even simple in mind, but very thoughtful, loving -philosophical and word-of-words seriously. It's absolutely beautiful (in my opinion, it's better than Am-vro-sia's father) -sche".

Always warm-hearted and attentive to his relatives, Reverend Ana-toly and to them no more lovingly - same as to others: everyone was already relatives to him, - his heart burned with the love of Christ. When he served the tour, after attentive and careful preparation, and during He- ru-vim-skoy stood with his hands in the air, this elderly old man seemed to be already unearthly -nom ob-ta-te-lem for the brethren who honor him.

His fatherly, loving, and at the same time firm pastoral care raised such great elders Op-ti-noy pu-sty-nor in the last times, like skh-ar-hi-mand-rit Var-so-no-fiy and hieros-hi-mo-nah.

Lessons pre-po-dob-no-go Ana-to-lia

About elderly care

You are so different, Father Anatoly, you valued the old man’s care even more. He said to himself that he could not go a day without seeing the old man and revealing his thoughts. He was very fond of those who were zealous in this matter, other people, and together with him he confessed more often and more clearly in everything, you know - I understood the price for a moment. He co-ve-to-val-sto-yang-but-but-to-bear the heartfelt-ness of the State, and from-the-father-of-the-spirit don't hide anything. “I love,” said the old man, “those who openly talk about themselves. The enemy cannot plant anything where everything is revealed to the spirit of the father.”

He, in particular, defined the benefit of the blood of thoughts in the fact that this is the blood of thoughts developed va-knowledge and pain-no-va-ness about your sin-no-sti-ness, which is why it develops so necessary for de-la spa-se-niya media-re-nie. When the elder's co-ve-tov did not work or de-la-li on the other side, they did not have peace of mind and cause harm, not benefit.

About the strength of the spirit of your father, for your child, the elder Ana-to-liy brought his spirit-to-child example from Pa-te-ri-ka:

“One brother, mired in sins, began to die. The abbot and his brother began to pray for him. And he sees a vision: a huge serpent sucks this brother, but cannot suck because his father can do it for him. lit.

But this brother is so languid from this soul and body languor that he himself is already begging his father So, so that he doesn’t pray, let him say, it’s better for the serpent to devour me, just not for me. Isn’t it madness: as if in the morning it would be better to have a snake than to drag it into its mouth! But the old man did not heed his plea, but continued to pray and freed his brother from the jaws of the serpent.”

Chi-tai mo-lit-wu Jesus-so-wu and spa-sesh-sya

The great Am-vro-siy himself testified about the great power of Elder Ana-to-lia: “He is so Yes-na mo-lit-va and b-go-da-da, k-ka-kaya ed-no-mu from you-sya-chi-da-et-sya.” Being himself a fiery prayer, he prayed to Jesus, and he taught this to his spiritual children. He often informed everyone about the need to pray for Jesus and keep one hundred hearts.

Teach my sister Jesus' prayer, he cares for them as if they were little children; knowing that, due to their youth, they still cannot understand its spiritual depth and at the same time, from experience her mystical power, he tried, in any way, to lure young souls to this wondrous prayer and said, would-va-lo: “I will give you good-stin-tsev, just read incessantly: Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God “Oh dear, have mercy on me, a sinner.”...

When one foreigner said that she had poor eyesight and it was difficult to read, he replied: “Ch-tai mo-lit-wu Jesus-so-woo and s-s-sya.” For-nya-tym-listen-sha-n-I-mi, he especially-ben-but-with-ve-to-vale prayed to Jesus-with-howl in return .

Another foreign-ki-nya sv-de-tel-stvo-va-la: “I’m on my way to the mo-nasty for-bo-le-la. I was fifteen years old, the doctors found my heart and throat and said that I was soon I’ll die, but I didn’t want to die. Ba-tyush-ka told me: “Ch-tai, as you can, and sit, and lie, pray to Jesus, and everything will pass.” So I did and you prayed for his saints. And since then, twenty-three years have passed, and I live and carry my obedience through my powers, and through my cell I do everything for myself, I want “You’re not in great health, but before, you couldn’t even walk around your cell.”

Only God and soul

About prayer, Father Ana-toly also spoke like this: “We must pray to God, so that between our souls we pray and nothing and no one was God. Only God and soul. So that the one who prays does not feel either heaven, or earth, or anything except God, otherwise the prayer will be incomplete -naya. When one prays under the impression of good singing or reading, this prayer is not yet a true prayer -va. Here is the true prayer: the prophet Elijah lay down on his knees, praying, and in a few minutes he begged the Lord let me turn my anger into mercy.”

Stand in church like Angel

Father Ana-to-liy strictly demanded from his spiritual children the good-go-vey-no-go attention in the church. “Stand in the church like an Angel,” he said, “don’t just talk and don’t look back, because there is a church.” earthly Heaven. Walking from the church, chi-tai: “Bo-go-ro-di-tse De-vo, rejoice...” - and not for-go-va-ri-wai with anyone, but then you'll be on the way to the co-su-du, which was in the bosom, but before it spilled out. When you are eating, then especially when you are praying to Jesus. When you go to communicate, then at this lunch especially watch yourself, don’t talk to anyone and don’t talk to anyone -Share your thoughts. Go to the Chalice with a calm soul, calling upon the prayers of your spirit father. Be afraid to confuse someone's soul in the temple; you go to ask for favor from God and in His temple you insult your neighbor.”

Demanding compliance with the strict charter of divine service, non-allowance of going to church and good -go-vey-no-go in it, Elder Ana-to-liy did not approve of the actions of those who, being weary of listening -eat, do-bi-val-sya-by-sure-but you-all-the-church-and-ke-ley-pri-vi-la, seeing this as unkind for-chat -ki spiritual mountains.

It’s not a blessing to sit down while reading the first ka-physics at the Sunday vigil, while pointing at the igu- me-na An-to-niya (bra-ta ar-hi-mand-ri-ta Mo-i-seya), someone’s legs were in wounds, but he didn’t -when I wasn’t sitting down at that time. It was not good to leave the church during the reading of ka-fism, saying: “The wolves are running, they are dragging away.”

Ro-ry-sya for God's sake

How much Father Ana-liy cared about the spiritual success of his children, nurturing in them a sensitivity to knowledge and teaching to te-forestry work, how wisely he guarded from all things to vanity and self -I think as a result of the actions taken upon myself.

One day I was so sick that I couldn’t bear to listen. And when Father Ana-to-liy came to her, she said: “I don’t bear obedience to anyone: b-words “I should take it upon myself to live alone, to fast, pray and sleep on bare boards.”

Father Ana-to-liy answered: “No matter how much you sit in the corner, you won’t worry about your moves.” ; you know, the lu-ka doesn’t eat, doesn’t drink and doesn’t sleep, but he still lives in darkness, because he has no humility. This is the enemy is-ku-sha-et. What moves should you make? You have plenty of freedom and pain. Be patient with what the Lord has given you. And you swear to God, here you go, pray to Jesus, there are leaves to move , and Jesus' prayer is the root and fruit of everything. Humble yourself, reproach yourself for everything, bear the pain and sorrow with the blessings - this is above all -movements and obedience to everyone.”

Community - school for media work

Father Anatoly looked at the community as a wonderful school for learning humility and patience. He spoke to explain the idea that society kills passions, so “in the hole the snake sits quietly” xo, touch her, she'll hiss-pit. It’s the same in the community. Take different stones, put them in a bag and shake them for a long time, they will become round - the same in the community. Basically, nails are dark. The floors are light because people walk on them, and they become shiny. So a monk, purified by grief, would be a light.”

About patience

Father Ana-to-liy pre-pre-expected that if the Lord would allow trials in order to humble a person, then not only bosses, sisters, strangers, our own, yes, according to the word, the whole creation will rise up against that person. One spiritual daughter complained to her temporary boss, Pe-la-gay, that she did not like her. Ba-tyush-ka said: “I think it’s not Pe-la-gay, it’s Aku-li-na or Ari-na, but they’re going to molest you. And neither ma-tush-ki, nor ba-tyush-ki will spare you. And only one doctor will save you, a hundred times you will re-co-men-do-bath - patience.”

And when one of the sisters began to ask Father Anatolia to teach her patience, he answered: “You, ma-tush-ka , you ask me to teach you patience... You are so wonderful! God teaches her! It is taught by people - sisters! She is taught about the things of life! And they all teach you patience, teach you by deed, by your very nature, by your very nature, the ability to endure - you ask me lesson theo-re-ti-che-sko-go-go-pe-niya... Be patient with everything - and you’ll be well!”

About the fight against lustful passion

One sister complained to her ba-tyushka that her neighbor in her cell had a bad character, and it was very difficult for her to get along with her -xia. And also the fact that she is overcome by prodigal thoughts, and she does not know how to deal with them.

Father Anatoly answered her: “At the same time, you complain about your neighbor who disagrees with you and about your lustful passion.” . You are senseless, mo-na-hi-nya! It burns on the right with fire, and on the left with cold water. Yes, you foolish one, take some water and pour it on the fire! That is, be patient with your weak sister! And the passion for fornication will fade away. After all, this passion lives and is supported by hellish oppression (under the oppression) - pride and impatience! Just be patient and you’ll sleep!”

About listening

Everything about serving the Lord Ana-to-liy explained how to serve the Lord and taught him to be patient bearing all the sorrows inevitably associated with the honest use of all the work. Be-spiritual for-pro-sy, spiritual disposition, re-sensitivity of conscience, the old man taught - erased and to those forest works. To those who refused from hard-to-hear, Father Ana-to-liy said that better things were needed. be patient, because in time everything will work out for the better.

One sister listened to him, the old man only said: “Be patient.” A little time passed, she became ill, and when she recovered, she was given new obedience, and she mastered it was heavy. The other sister listened to us at different times and complained to Father Ana -liyu. He consoled, persuading me to endure, and one day when she asked: “When will you listen to me?” niya?”, he replied: “When will you be right?”

Another of his spiritual do-che-ri, having asked for his blessing for the creation of Evan-ge-lia and Psal-ti-ri, most-like Ana-to-liy in-so-ve-to-val:

Buy, drink, buy, but, most importantly, it’s absurd, but obey, be humble, and endure everything. This will be higher than a hundred and you pray.

Keep yourself feeling ready for sorrow

While teaching patience, he also said this: “Take a stone, hit it, praise it. He will remain silent - so you will be insulted.” Comforting the bereaved at the hearings, Father Ana-to-liy sometimes told something from the lives of the saints under -de-sha-chee, sometimes-re-minal vi-den-noe. To one sister, who was listening in the garden, he told of great glory in his abode, he went to another and there, as if just standing still, he was forced to rummage in the garden; he wanted to find out whether God was pleased with his deed, and he had a dream that he died and a trial was taking place; on him, when there was nothing left to live in his service and in the weakening of the weight of sins, the Angels bro-si-li then -gda lo-pa-tu, and she re-cha-nu-la bowls of weights with sins.

Another sister, cha-go-tiv-shay, that she’s called for all sorts of services, the old man just said: “Come on, I know -chit, need-na.” The third one said, when he was about to pick potatoes, that he, too, sometimes liked to do this for his own sake. And all three were comforted and with the new si-la-mi they each got down to their own business. He taught not to give in, but to do this, to always keep yourself in the feeling of being prepared for sorrow.

About the birth and death

Father Ana-to-liy did not like very much when someone in grief wished for death and cursed one sister when she said, frightened: “Do you want me to pray and you will die?” But, of course: “No, no!” And she began to ask for forgiveness, feeling how little she was ready for death, which came so easily thought-len-but about-si-la to yourself.

Everything is worth the internal building of the soul

One sister, during the service while singing “Your dog-words, Bo-go-ro-di-tse...”, had the idea that only the singers -they were chatting at the grad, and she was upset that she wasn’t singing. With these thoughts, she went to the old man. He met her, asking three times: “Are you eating?” and, having received a positive answer, said, pointing to the heart: “That’s the point, what’s wrong here?” “Yes,” he pointed to the heart, thereby making it clear that everything is worth the internal structure of the soul in time. I walk according to the listeners, and not their character.

If only the world knew...

Another sister once came to Father Anatoly in grief and said in grief: “Oh, why did I go to school?” -what the hell? To this he told her: “If the world knew how difficult it is to live in a monastery, then at least they would be beaten with a stick, not by -they would go to the mo-nastyr, it would be better if they were barefoot, but in the world; and if they knew what kind of people there are in the sky, they would give up everything and go to the monastery.”

Letters and studies

Today, according to Father’s teachings, Ana-to-lya is included in many collections, and, reading them, you notice how many to the patience of the ba-tyush-ka, from-warming the sister with his attention and little-by-correcting the internal The ren-ny system of each is a different age, a different structure.

He encourages the twenty-year-old with a joke and keeps her from trying to get ahead of her time: “Don’t be discouraged. Even though you are bo-ri-ma from passions - despite the way you write, your advanced years, since you are already more than twenty years old - but still, don’t be discouraged. Passions sometimes arise at 30, and at 40, and at 50, and at 60, and at 70.”

The older one is kept from “opinion”: “Do your best and don’t value your own merits, and don’t count your goodness, but look and count your weaknesses and sins, and the Lord will never leave you.”

And the weakened, old woman is consoled: because of her weakness, in the cell, and even if she’s lying down, she can pray, and not in Condemnation will be asked from mother to be removed from obedience when things are hard.

Especially-ben-but-be-re-zhen ba-tyush-ka was with the young ones, having left the world and met-shi-mi in mo-na-sta-re ty-go- you and the sorrow. On-mi-naya de-voch-kam-on-listening-to-people and foreign-ki-nyams that sorrow cannot be escaped either in mo-na-sta-re or behind his fence, he still points out their calling: “The crown of virginity is the highest Christian goodness -de-tel, she is the beauty and crown of the Church... The saint teaches: “Take away An-ge-la’s wings, and he will de-de- Vice. And give the girl wings, and she will be an Angel."

Everything has its own measure, everything has its own measure, and all the na-chi-na-y and weary sisters, ba-tyush-ka comfort -et: don’t be discouraged, despondency is the main enemy of the world; Even if the work is difficult now, but “...it’s terrible for you, that’s why it’s so hard for you here.”

In the teachings of Elder Anatolya there are a lot of things that are useful for the laity too. Here, for example, about preserving the world, about the need to forgive with ease: “Be patient with everything, and you will be the world itself.” on, and to others you will create peace! And if you begin to count, you will lose the world, and with it your salvation.”

Or another small, but fatherly, pro-minent note about how to pray: “Don’t be cunning in my -lit-ve, but keep it simple. The Lord said: Unless you are like a child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

There are a lot of such short, but behind-the-mind races in his letters. But what is somewhat different from them, you are from the op-tin-inheritance, it’s some kind of special, personal , grew up from life experience, involvement with those to whom we know you. As an appeal to everyone who is tired on the climb and sometimes no longer finds the strength to endure the harshest trials, about -ra-wonderful, strengthening words: “... all the soul-spirited ra-na there rises up to-the-ro -go-go al-ma-za; but still, the general joy will be so great that we will only be consoled and cheered by looking at our neighbors. Xia. It will be so good for all those who have suffered here.”

Spiritual bi-ser

Wise spiritual leadership, together with you, Ana-to-lia was a spiritual bi-ser for thirsts -giving old-age care:

“It’s obvious that you’re old and want to be saved, but you don’t know how, you don’t understand spiritual life. The whole secret here is to endure that God will come. And you won’t see how you enter heaven.”

“Consider yourself worse than everyone else, and you will be better than everyone else.”

“...Your patience should not be unreasonable, that is, without joy, but patience with reason, that the Lord - all your deeds, your very soul, as we look into the face of the person I love... Sees and experiences: How will you end up in tribulation? If you are patient, you will be His beloved. And if you don’t endure and grumble, but still eat, you will still be His beloved.”

“Prayers to God are all up to you. But what exactly - we don’t know about it. He is the only righteous judge, and we can recognize a lie as the truth. Pray and believe.”

“...I’m telling you in secret, I’m telling you my best means of dealing with media. This is what it is: all the pain that a proud heart has endured for so many years. And wait day and night for mercy from the All-mi-lo-sti-vo-th Spa. Anyone who waits like that will certainly get it.”

“Learn to be meek and silent, and you will be loved by everyone. And opened feelings are the same as open-created ones: the dog and the cat run there... and shit "

“We are obligated to love everyone, but we don’t dare demand that they love us.”

“Without winter there would be no spring, without spring there would be no summer. So it is in spiritual life: a little consolation, and then a little haste, and it becomes so-small the path of spa-ness.”

“We will receive everything from the hand of God. Ute-shit - blah-go-da-rim. And it doesn’t console - blah-go-da-rim.”

Special-ben-naya for-bo-ta

Under Sha-mor-di-no, they soon set up an orphanage, and the old man loved these children very much. He sent apples and candy to the shelter. He especially lived in a lot of trouble when there was a fire at night in the shelter, while he was in Sha-mor-di-no. . Father Ana-to-liy with the icon of the Kazan God Ma-te-ri came to the place of the heat, and prayed for his hot -a way to prevent disasters. The children sometimes wrote to him about his sins, but he refused.

Explaining to one sister the reason for his special concerns about children and young people, the old man said: “Mo- A young tree needs to be touched and watered, otherwise it will dry out. So a young soul, having become estranged from its relatives and not seeing consolation from anywhere, can become despondent. When a young tree emerges, and it is accepted and grows, then it no longer requires attention. yes, and he is left without the same care as before.”

Spiritual orphanage

On October 1891, Elder Amvrosy died. His death was an immediate loss for everyone who knew him, but especially for the defenseless women's community. By this time there were already more than three hundred sisters in it, basically a shelter where five ten girls lived, -li os-no-va-ny bo-ga-del-nya and pain-no-tsa. Na-sto-ya-tel-ni-tsa ma-tush-ka Ev-fro-si-nya before the very end of the old man Am-vro-siya in the-te-rya-la sight -ing and receiving from him some kind of prohibition from the control of the environment . In addition, the bishop of Kaluga and Bo-rovsky Vi-ta-li-em (Joseph) would have banned all relations between Op-ti-noy and Sha-mor-di-no, in the re-zul-ta-those axis-ro-tev-shay community-on-li-she-na there was both external and internal help.

All these difficult events had a strong impact on the health of Father Anatolia. Because of the old man, it is no longer possible in the most difficult and sorrowful moments to console and support despondency. Yu-sha-mor-din’s sisters brought heavy sorrow to his loving heart. We're not in good health, we're already torn by our harsh life, we've suffered for thirty years. now, father Ana-to-liy, after the death of the elder Am-vro-siya, began to quickly weaken and lived only three years. Thoughtful and sad, he felt heavily about his spiritual orphanhood and quickly approached the -that of your life.

Last meeting

The flaming mo-lit-ven-nik, pre-po-like Ana-to-liy during his trip at the end of 1892 to St. Petersburg and Kron -stadt met there with the holy righteous one, who was very well-read. Together with Father John, Elder Ana-to-liy served in the memory of the Most Revered Am-vro. This and I was comforted while talking with Father John. As Elder Var-so-no-fiy remembered, when the tour began, Father John saw that with Father Ana-li- I eat with two An-ge-la; it is unknown whether Father Anatoly himself saw them, but Father John clearly saw them...

After some time, the Sha-Mordin sisters were allowed to again use the spiritual leadership of the op- -teen elders. Father Ana-to-lia’s trip to Sha-mor-di-no drove around and still served from-ra-doy and ute -she-ne-eat for his spiritual children.

When the strength began to fail, Father Ana-to-liy once again sent Sha-mor-di-no, he prayed hotly in front of Iko of the Kazan Goddess Ma-te-ri and on the mo-gil-ke ma-te-ri of Sophia. He inspected everything, said good-bye to everyone, consoled everyone with his greeting and affection: as if for the Sha-mor-din villages, the trace from the extinguishment of such a bright and dear star of goodness.

Near-death illness

The great Ana-to-liy had an unusually sweet, co-operative character. If he found out about someone’s grief, he would become so worried that he would have a terrible headache. And that’s why his heart started to hurt... That’s why, according to the doctor, he started to get sick heart disease, pulmonary edema. Doctors re-co-men-do-va-li-treat him, co-ve-to-va-li pro-hum-ki in the fresh air. But the old man’s feet began to swell and he stopped putting on his shoes. And the rumblings had to be stopped. Tolerate, with the media, the old man endures his illness.

On December 5, 1893, he secretly received the schema, which only his spiritual father, Father Ge, knew about. -ron-tiy, and several close persons, and become a hieros-hi-mo-na-hom.

From that time on, his pre-death illness began, however, in the days of remembrance of his unforeseen instructions, kov, elders Ma-ka-ria and Am-vro-sia, on the seventh of September and the day of October, the forces of returning so much so that he could still serve. For the last three months he did not get up from his chair; His suffering was great, sometimes he suffered from severe hiccups that lasted for three days. He often communicated the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and often brought to him various miraculous icons. During his illness, he was consoled by the telegram of my father John of Kronstadt.

He was consoled when, in the days of illness, the Holy Gospel was read to him, especially the four-and-fifth -that chapter of Evangelia from John. Holy Apo-sto-la John-na, Ar-hi-stra-ti-ga Mi-ha-i-la and holy ve-li-ko-mu-che-ni-tsu Var-va The old man especially honored him in life; He called them often and in days of illness. Of the ancient movements, at this time he most often remembered about and. With the blessing of the re-minal of the Op-Tin elders: Leo, Ma-ka-ria, Am-vro-sia, Mo-i-sey and An-to- Niya, as well as the mother of Sophia and many others.

Until the last days

According to the blessing of the epi-sco-pa of Ka-luzh-skogo and Bo-rov-skogo Ana-to-lia (Stan-ke-vi-cha) sha-mor-din- The Chinese sisters looked after the old man during his illness. One day the sisters, who were having a hard time dealing with the illness of their beloved ba-tyush, told him: “Here we are.” “We talk about your health, but the Lord doesn’t hear us.” To this the old man answered: “Is it possible that the sun does not illuminate, the water does not refresh, the fire does not warm; and the Lord is a thousand times brighter than the whole sun; He hears your prayer, but He does what pleases Him.”

Half a month before his death, he said the blessing of Sha-mor-di-no icon of the Signs of God Ma-te-ri - Pre - wait, he entrusted the young monastery to his prayers.

Christmas was sad. The old man is not close to the old man. At Epiphany, seeing monks going to church through the window, he said sadly: “Here are the children of God going to church, and I , sinner, I sit at home, not with people, not with myself.”

Until his last days, whenever he could, he never ceased to console and instruct his spiritual children, and among them -either lay people, or other people from other areas. The old man always received these last of them quickly, and when the Sha-mor-Din-go-va-ri-va-li told him about that, he from-ve- I thought that they could wait: they were close to us, and they - how much work they endured to get there, and even How long can they come in life?

That's in my heart, God, that's in my heart

One late evening he ordered a table to be given, a cross to be placed on it, candles to be lit and a ca-di-lo to be brought. When everything was all right, he sang: “We worship Thy Cross, Vlady-ko...” - and to everyone - he sang and censed in a circle; then, blissfully, he took us to sprinkle God's water on him to drink. When everyone finished and dispersed, the patient seemed to doze off, bowing his head. A few minutes later he suddenly raised his head and hands, as a serving priest does during the singing of He-ru-vim -sky, and exclaimed: “Oh, Tro-i-tse!” His gaze was directed somewhere upward...

Sometimes the mole said: “Sinful Anatoliy has nothing, unless someone sighs to God for him.” On the twenty-fourth of January, things went very badly for him, he almost didn’t open his eyes, deeply He sighed, and one could hear that he was constantly praying to Jesus. Until my death, he never left Jesus’ prayer, then gave instructions about it to the weak. -som, then whispered it with mute lips. Sometimes, out of strength: “This is in my heart, God, this is in my heart.”

After two-twenty hours in the afternoon, he came in contact with great bliss and again fell into a sort of in oblivion. Someone said quietly that they ought to read the story, and the dying man himself wrote the following: “Blessed - the word is our God...” As he walked, his breathing became less and less, finally he sighed deeply three times and peace- but I thought about the State. It was at four o'clock twenty minutes in the morning on Tuesday twenty-fifth January 1894, on the seventh -that year of his life.

Many spiritual children of the old man saw him after his death in a dream: now they comforted him, now they gave him consolation. then a doctor, and after these dreams a feeling of consolation, of joy, and many also of healing from the soul -khov-nyh and those-forest ailments.

In 1996, the Reverend Ana-to-liy the Elder (Zer-tsa-lov) was included in the list of local saints of Op-ti -noy desert, and in August 2000 - by the Jubilee Arch-Jerical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church pro-glorified for the community-church-in-chi-ta-niya. The power of the pre-excellent Ana-to-liya in the Vladi-mir temple of Op-ti-noy pu-sty.

Most dear Ana-to-lie, pray to God for us!