Alexey is a man of God's life. Life of Alexy, man of God

Relying on Providence, he boarded a ship and sailed to Laodicea. In this city he joined a trade caravan that was heading to the Mesopotamian mountains. Edessa. There Alexy stopped at the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and lived on its porch for seventeen years. Dressed in beggar's clothes torn clothes, he fed on alms given to him by believers who came to the temple to pray.

Meanwhile, his father sent servants to all ends in search of his son, while his mother, dressed in sackcloth, remained inconsolable in a depressed state of mind, and his wife, imitating the love of the turtledove for her husband, was waiting for at least some some news. Some of Euthymian's messengers reached Edessa. They passed by Alexy and gave him alms, not even suspecting that this was their noble owner, so asceticism and ill-treatment, which he endured with gratitude out of love for God, changed his physical appearance.

After the lapse of for long years The Most Holy Theotokos appeared to the church sacristan, ordering him to command the man of God to enter inside the church. When Alexy saw that he was open and people began to honor him, he again decided to flee and boarded a ship sailing to Tara. But unfavorable winds, or rather Divine Providence, drove the ship straight to the port of Rome. The saint submitted to this Divine sign and immediately went to his home, where, like a beggar, he asked for alms from his own father, who had left the house. Euthymian did not recognize his beloved son. Since the time of his sad loss, he became even more inclined to acts of mercy than before and ordered his servants to give shelter to this poor man and feed him with the remnants of his meal for as long as he wanted.

The man of God spent another seventeen years at the door of his father’s house, enduring without a single word of discontent, and even joyfully, the insults and ridicule of the servants. When he felt that the day of his departure from this world was approaching, he asked for a scroll and ink to be brought to him, and so, with a pen in hand, having written the entire story of his life, he rested in order to move into the eternal abodes.

On the same day, when the pope celebrated the Liturgy in the Church of St. Peter in the presence of Emperor Honorius (395-423) and with a large crowd of people, a voice was heard in the altar exclaiming: “Look for the man of God: he will pray for the city and for all of you. For he is already leaving his body!” All the people began to pray - and again a voice was heard, which revealed that the man of God was in the house of Euthymian.

When the majestic procession with the emperor and the pope at the head approached the house, the servant who was helping Alexy said that the beggar, who had lived for so many years at the entrance to the house, distributed his food to even poorer people than he, and he himself accepted a little bread and water only on Sundays, remaining unperturbed and even rejoicing at insults from other servants. They entered his hut and found Alexy already dead: he was holding a scroll in his hand. When it was read publicly, everyone remained silent, amazed at how amazingly this servant of God fought against nature in order to acquire supernatural benefits. The emperor and the pope, seeing the tears and hearing the lamentations of Alexy's parents, advised them to rejoice and rejoice more because they had given birth to such a great saint, who would reign with Christ forever and ever.

A crowd gathered at the deathbed: the blind regained their sight, the deaf began to hear, the dumb loudly glorified God, the evil spirits fled. The crowd was so large that the funeral procession could not begin. The emperor ordered gold coins to be scattered in the hope that the crowd would retreat from the coffin in order to collect them. But this turned out to be in vain: the people neglected corruptible gold in order to receive incorruptible grace by touching the body of the saint.

Finally, it was laid in the church of St. Boniface in a coffin decorated with gold and precious stones. Fragrant myrrh flowed out of it abundantly, which healed all kinds of diseases.

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

Venerable Alexy, man of God (Greek: ̓Αλέξιος ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ) (circa 411). One of the most revered saints in the Orthodox world.
Memory March 30 according to the new style / March 17 according to the old style (in Western tradition- July 17, in Syrian - November 3).

Life
Born in Rome from noble and pious parents. His father Euthymian was a senator. He was distinguished by his kindness of soul, was merciful to the sick and suffering, and set up three tables in his home every day: for orphans and widows, for travelers and for the poor. Euthymian and his wife Aglaida did not have children for a long time, and this darkened their happiness. But the pious Aglaida did not give up hope - and God heard her and sent them a son. The father named the baby Alexy (translated from Greek as “protector”). Saint Alexy grew up healthy child, studied well and diligently. When he reached adulthood, Evfimian and Aglaida decided to marry him. They chose a girl of royal blood, very beautiful and rich, for their son. Left alone with his young wife after the wedding, Saint Alexy gave her his gold ring and belt buckle with the words: “Keep this, and may the Lord be between you and me until He renews us with His grace.” Then he left the bridal chamber and left that same night Father's house.
Boarding a ship sailing to the East, the young man arrived in Syrian Laodicea. Here he accosted the donkey drivers and reached with them the city of Edessa, where the Holy Image of the Lord, imprinted on the shroud, was kept. Having distributed the remainder of his property, the young man dressed himself in rags and began to beg for alms in the vestibule of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Every Sunday he partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. At night Alexy stayed awake and prayed. He ate only bread and water.

Meanwhile, the parents and wife of Saint Alexis, saddened by his disappearance, sent their servants to search. They were also in Edessa, entered the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos and gave alms to Saint Alexis, without recognizing him. After some time, the servants returned to Rome without finding Saint Alexius. And none of the relatives had a revelation about him. Then they humbled themselves, and although they continued to grieve and yearn for him, they relied on the will of God.
The Monk Alexy spent seventeen years in Edessa, begging for alms in the vestibule of the Church of the Mother of God. The Most Pure One herself, appearing in a dream to the church watchman, revealed that the beggar Alexy was a man of God. When the inhabitants of Edessa began to honor him, the Monk Alexy fled secretly. He thought of going to the city of Tarsus (in Asia Minor, the homeland of the holy Apostle Paul), but the ship on which the monk was sailing fell into a strong storm and lost its course, wandered for a long time and finally landed on the shores of Italy, not far from Rome. Saint Alexy, seeing God's Providence in this, went to his father's house, for he was sure that he would not be recognized. Having met his father Euthymian, he asked him for shelter and mentioned his relatives who were on a journey. He was glad to receive the beggar, gave him a place in the entryway of his house, ordered him to carry food from the master's table and assigned a servant to help him. The rest of the servants, out of envy, began to surreptitiously insult the beggar, but the Monk Alexy saw the devil's instigation in this and accepted the mockery with humility and joy. He still ate bread and water, and at night he stayed awake and prayed. So another seventeen years passed. When the hour of his death approached, the Monk Alexy wrote down his entire life, both the secret things that were known to his father and mother, and the words spoken to his wife in marital peace.

On Sunday after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Apostle Peter, a miracle occurred. A voice from above came from the Holy See: “Seek the man of God, so that he may pray for Rome and all her people.” The whole people fell on their faces in horror and delight. On Thursday evening in the Cathedral of the Apostle Peter they prayed to the Lord to reveal to them the man of God - and a voice came from the throne: “In the house of Euthymian there is a man of God, look there.” The Roman Emperor Honorius (395-423), as well as Pope Innocent I (402-417), were present in the temple. They turned to Euthymian, but he knew nothing. Then the servant assigned to Saint Alexius told Euthymian about his righteousness. Euthymian hurried to the Monk Alexy, but did not find him alive.
The face of the blessedly deceased saint shone with an unearthly light. In his hand, the Monk Alexy held a tightly clutched scroll. The body of Saint Alexis was carried with due honor and laid on a bed. The Emperor and the Pope knelt, asking the saint to unclench his hand, and Saint Alexy fulfilled their request. A scroll with a biography of the saint was read by the church reader. The father, mother and wife of Saint Alexy fell weeping to the body of the saint and bowed to his venerable remains. At the sight of such grief, many cried. The bed with the body of Saint Alexis was placed in the middle of the central square. People began to flock to him to be cleansed and relieved of their ailments. The dumb began to speak, the blind began to see, the possessed and the mentally ill were cured. Seeing such grace, Emperor Honorius and Pope Innocent I themselves carried the body of the saint in the funeral procession. The honorable remains of Saint Alexy, the man of God, were buried in the church in the name of Saint Boniface on March 17, 411, when the memory of Saint Alexy, the man of God, is celebrated.

Hagiographic tradition
The Syrian version of the life of St. Alexis, now recognized as the oldest, does not mention his name, and only tells about the saint’s flight from Rome and stay in Edessa. After 17 years spent in prayer and fasting, this legend says, the saint died in a homeless shelter and was buried in a common grave. Soon after this, the sexton of the church where the saint labored told the bishop the story of the life of the man of God, which he had told him before his death. The bishop ordered the relics of such a great saint to be reburied with honors, but his body miraculously disappeared from the grave, where they found only a pitiful funeral sackcloth. Since Ravbula (412-435) is named the bishop of Edessa, it can be assumed that the life of the saint was written, probably on the basis oral tradition, in the second half of the 5th - at the beginning of the 6th century.
An addition to this life was a Greek legend, which became famous earlier than the 9th century in Constantinople (possibly in connection with the resettlement of Syrian Akimite monks there). It is likely that St. Petersburg used it exactly. Joseph the Songwriter († 886), compiling a canon for the saint, in which his name, Alexy, was first mentioned. According to this legend, the saint, trying to hide from the fame that had spread in Edessa about his righteous life, left the city on a ship and ended up in Rome, which was followed by the second half of his ascetic life.

On the basis of these early Syriac and Greek lives, a second Syriac version was created (probably around the 10th century), in which the combination of two legends led to an indication of the “double death” of the saint: first in Edessa, then in Rome, the explanation of which was pointed to a miracle with an empty grave (not mentioned in the Constantinople tradition). The first Arabic (karshuni) version makes an attempt to harmonize both traditions, removing or smoothing out noticeable contradictions, while the second Arabic edition goes back exclusively to the Constantinople and completely ignores the original Edessa. In the 10th century, a Greek adaptation of the life appeared in the collection of Symeon Metaphrastus. In addition, several Greek versions are known, as well as a number of Latin editions of the life, in which, in addition to the names of Alexius, the man of God and his parents, the names of the saint’s bride (Adriatic), the archbishop (Pope Innocent I) and the emperors (Arcadia and Honorius) are named.
There are many known translations of the Life of Alexius the Man of God, dating back either to the Latin version (German, Old French, Provençal, Old Norse), or to the Greek version of Metaphrastus (Ancient Georgian and Old Armenian). Closely connected with the Western hagiographic tradition are the “songs” of Alexy the Man of God, which probably appeared in the 11th century in Normandy and passed from there to England and Germany (a poem by Conrad from Würzburg). In the West, Alexy the man of God was considered the heavenly patron of the brotherhood of Alexians (Zelites), who were involved in the care of the poor and their burial.

Veneration and relics
If in the East the veneration of the Monk Alexy began to spread already from the 5th-6th centuries, then in the West the veneration of Alexy the man of God is not attested in ancient hagiographical and liturgical monuments, but undoubtedly already existed by the 10th century. Its widespread use is associated with the arrival in Rome in 977 of Metropolitan Sergius of Damascus, who was expelled from his see. Having received from the pope the temple of St. Boniface on the Aventine Hill (where, according to one version of his life, Alexy the man of God was married on the eve of his flight from home), Metropolitan Sergius founded a monastery there for Greek and Latin monks, which since 987 has been mentioned in sources under the name of Saint Boniface and Alexia the man of God. In 1216, the discovery of the relics of Alexy the man of God was announced here and they were solemnly transferred to the upper church, which led to a dispute with the canons of St. Peter's Cathedral, where, according to one version of his life, the saint was buried.
In medieval Rome, pilgrims were shown the “Chambers of Euthymian,” as reported in the “Note on Rome” by an unknown member of the Russian delegation at the Ferrara-Florence Council (the building has not survived).
In the Greek monastery of the Holy Lavra in Kalavryta (Peloponnese) the head of Alexius the man of God is kept, which, according to legend, was donated to this monastery by Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos in 1414. Alexy, the man of God, was revered here as a protector against epidemics. In 1773, the Albanians plundered the monastery and sold the holy chapter to Larisa, where, after several years, the abbot of the Lavra, Anfim, found it and returned it to the monastery.

In Rus', in the Novgorod Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, there was the hand of Alexius the man of God, stolen from Rome by a Novgorod merchant, according to a legend of the 17th century. In the inventory of the St. Sophia Cathedral of 1749, there is a silver gilded ark with the relics of Alexius the man of God, located in front of the main iconostasis of the cathedral, on the left side of the royal doors. Currently, there are no relics of Alexy the man of God in the St. Sophia Cathedral.
As in Europe, in Rus' Alexy the man of God became the hero of numerous spiritual poems. The veneration of the saint was especially noticeable during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, whose heavenly patron was Alexei the man of God. In 1662, the publication of the fourth edition of the Prologue was timed to coincide with the saint’s memorial day, in the afterword to which Alexei Mikhailovich was spoken of as an imitator of Alexei the man of God. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, a service to Alexei the man of God was written and published in 1671-1674.
However, despite the widespread veneration of Alexy the man of God in Rus', not many churches are known that were consecrated in his honor. In Moscow around 1358 it was founded convent in the name of Alexy, the man of God, which was originally located on Ostozhenka, in 1547 transferred “to Chertolye” (where the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is now located), in 1837 - to Krasnoye Selo (the building of the church in the name of Alexy the man of God from 1853-1858 has been preserved , it now houses the House of Children's Creativity).

In 1642, in the village of Alekseevskoye near Moscow (now within Moscow, next to the VDNKh and Alekseevskaya metro stations), a temple was erected in the name of Alexy the man of God; There, by order of Alexei Mikhailovich, a travel palace was built, in which the tsar stopped on his way to a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. In 1682, a temple in the name of the Tikhvin Icon was erected next to the traveling palace. Mother of God. Subsequently, the dilapidated Alekseevskaya Church was dismantled, its altar in 1824 was moved to the Tikhvin Church, which still houses the revered image of Alexy the Man of God (late 19th-early 20th centuries).
In 1855, on the second tier of the bell tower of the Moscow Passionate Monastery, a church was consecrated in the name of Alexy the man of God. Currently, in several Moscow churches there are chapels in the name of Alexy the man of God. In Novgorod, the chapel of the Military Medical Center is known. Catherine and Alexy the Man of God at the Church of the Assumption on Torg (1399) and the Alekseevsky Church behind the ramparts of the Okolny Town near the Lyudin (Goncharny) end in Tonaya Sloboda, mentioned in chronicles since 1340; in Pskov - a temple in the name of Alexy the man of God in the Middle City (built before 1697); in Tver - the gate church of Zheltikov in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God of the monastery (1609); in Vologda - the gate church of the Gorny Assumption Convent (no later than the beginning of the 18th century); in Suzdal - a chapel of the Peter and Paul Church near the Intercession Monastery, built at the expense of the disgraced queen Evdokia Lopukhina. In the Kursk diocese there is a convent of Alexy, the man of God.

Study
The study of the hagiographical tradition associated with Alexius the man of God began with the first scientific publication of the Latin life by the Bollandists in ActaSS. Then it was noticed that in the same Latin translation The Arabic version lacks the part with the return to Rome, and the saint is not named by name, but Mar Risha (Sir. - “Mr. Prince”).
G. Massman and D.V. Dashkov proceeded from the fact that the legend about Alexy the man of God has Constantinople origin and its source is the canon of St. Joseph the Songwriter. The now recognized opinion about the primacy of the ancient Syrian version of the life was first expressed in 1889 by G. Pari and A. Amiot. As H. Drivers later showed, the image of the nameless “man of God” in highest degree characteristic of the Syriac understanding of holiness.
A special problem is the relation of the Byzantine legend about Alexis the man of God to the legend about St. John Kushchnik. The main events of the legend about this saint, who lived in Constantinople in the first half of the 5th century, coincide with the life of Alexy the man of God - his escape on his wedding day, his return and life in home unrecognized. A number of scientists consider these saints to be one and the same person, however, the life of Alexy the man of God does not completely coincide with the history of St. John.

The oldest Slavic lengthy version of the life, dating back to the Greek edition, in which there are elements of both Byzantine and Latin traditions, was translated by the end of the 11th century and soon became widespread in Rus'. The second Slavic edition was made using a more extensive Greek version. The short life of Alexius the man of God was translated in the 12th century as part of the Prologue of Constantine of Mokisia, and translated again in the first half of the 14th century (apparently by the Serbs on Athos) as part of the Stishnoy Prologue. In the 16th century, the oldest Slavic extensive life, corrected according to Greek texts, as well as short life included on March 17 in the Great Menaion of Chetya. New translation lives with Greek language, made in 1659 by Arseny the Greek, was published in the Anthologion (1660) and Prologue (starting from 1660). In the Lives of the Saints, St. Demetrius of Rostov, the story about Alexy the man of God, based on the Great Four Menaions, is supplemented by translations by Arseny the Greek, Peter Skarga, and texts from ActaSS and L. Suriya are also used. It is this life, compiled by the saint based on the extensive hagiographic material that has developed to XVII century, lies at the basis of what is placed in the Four Menaions of the Russian Orthodox Church.
There are also southwestern Russian translations and adaptations of the life of Alexy the Man of God, which go back to the Latin originals. IN XVII-XVIII centuries translations of the life of Alexy the man of God appeared in Ukrainian language, made on the basis of Skarga's edition.

In Rus', one of the earliest images of Alexy the man of God was in the painting of the concha of the altar of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa near Novgorod (1199), where Alexy the man of God and an unknown saint are represented in prayer on the sides of the Edessa image of the Mother of God “Incarnation”; in the frescoes of 1378 by Theophanes the Greek in the Church of the Savior on Ilyin, Alexy the man of God is represented in full size in the altar room on the eastern edge of the northeastern pillar; in the Church of the Assumption on Volotovo Field, 80s of the 14th century, - in the deacon on the eastern edge of the southeastern pylon. The saint was depicted in an ocher tunic to the knees, with his arms bare to the elbows in front of his chest or, as in the Church of the Savior on Ilyin, with his arms drawn to the side right hand with an open palm. In the air “Spas on the ubrus with those coming”, 1389 (State Historical Museum), he is presented among the selected saints, under the Deesis. The saint is depicted waist-deep with his arms spread to the sides. The image of Alexy the man of God at the northern wall opens a row of 25 saints, depicted semi-figured on the altar barrier (pre-altar wall) of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (painting 1482 or 1514-1515), above the entrance to the Peter and Paul chapel there is an image of the Savior “Good Silence” with hands, crossed on the chest, this gesture is repeated in the figure of Alexy the man of God; next to Alexius the man of God there are images of the venerable Parthenius of Lampsaki, John Climacus, and John Kushchnik. In the mural painting of the 1547-1551 years of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (which preserved the program of the original painting of 1508), the life-size image of Alexy the man of God on the northern edge of the south-eastern pillar is also included in a number of images of saints, located on the altar barrier, adjacent sections of the walls and altar pillars; nearby, on the northern wall of the vima, St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow.

The Monk Alexy, a man of God, was born in Rome from noble and pious parents. His father Euthymian was a senator. He was distinguished by his kindness of soul, was merciful to the sick and suffering, and set up three tables in his home every day: for orphans and widows, for travelers and for the poor. Euthymian and his wife Aglaida did not have children for a long time, and this darkened their happiness. But the pious Aglaida did not give up hope - and God heard her and sent them a son. The father named the baby Alexy (translated from Greek as “protector”).

Saint Alexy grew up as a healthy child and studied well and diligently. When he reached adulthood, Evfimian and Aglaida decided to marry him. They chose a girl of royal blood, very beautiful and rich, for their son. Left alone with his young wife after the wedding, Saint Alexy gave her his gold ring and belt buckle with the words:

“Keep this, and may the Lord be between you and me until He renews us with His grace.” Then he left the bridal chamber and left his father’s house that same night. Boarding a ship sailing to the East, the young man arrived in Syrian Laodicea. Here he accosted the donkey drivers and reached with them the city of Edessa, where the Holy Image of the Lord, imprinted on the shroud, was kept.

Having distributed the remainder of his property, the young man dressed in rags and began to beg for alms in the vestibule of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Every Sunday he partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. At night Alexy stayed awake and prayed. He ate only bread and water.

Meanwhile, the parents and wife of Saint Alexis, saddened by his disappearance, sent their servants to search. They were also in Edessa, entered the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos and gave alms to Saint Alexis, without recognizing him.

After some time, the servants returned to Rome without finding Saint Alexius. And none of the relatives had a revelation about him. Then they humbled themselves and although they continued to grieve and yearn for him, they relied on the will of God.

The Monk Alexy spent seventeen years in Edessa, begging for alms in the vestibule of the Church of the Mother of God. The Most Pure One herself, appearing in a dream to the church watchman, revealed that the beggar Alexy was a man of God. When the inhabitants of Edessa began to honor him, the Monk Alexy fled secretly. He thought of going to the city of Tara (in Asia Minor, the homeland of the Holy Apostle Paul), but the ship on which the Monk Alexy was sailing lost its course during a strong storm, wandered for a long time and finally landed on the shores of Italy, not far from Rome.

Saint Alexy, seeing God's providence in this, went to his father's house, for he was sure that he would not be recognized. Having met his father Euthymian, he asked him for shelter and mentioned his relatives who were on a journey. He was glad to receive the beggar, gave him a place in the entryway of his house, ordered him to carry food from the master's table and assigned a servant to help him. The rest of the servants, out of envy, began to surreptitiously insult the beggar, but the Monk Alexy saw the devil's instigation in this and accepted the mockery with humility and joy. He still ate bread and water, and at night he stayed awake and prayed.

So another seventeen years passed. When the hour of his death approached, the Monk Alexis wrote his entire life, both the secret things that were known to his father and mother, and the words spoken to his wife in marital peace.

On Sunday after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Apostle Peter, a miracle occurred. A voice from above came from the Holy See: “Seek the man of God, so that he may pray for Rome and all her people.” The whole people fell on their faces in horror and delight. On Thursday evening in the Cathedral of the Apostle Peter they prayed to the Lord to reveal to them the man of God - and a voice came from the throne: “In the house of Euthymian there is a man of God, look there.” The Roman Emperor Honorius (395-423), as well as Pope Innocent I (402-417), were present in the temple. They turned to Euthymian, but he knew nothing. Then the servant assigned to Saint Alexius told Euthymian about his righteousness. Euthymian hurried to the Monk Alexy, but did not find him alive. The face of the blessedly deceased saint shone with an unearthly light. In his hand, the Monk Alexy held a tightly clutched scroll. The body of Saint Alexis was carried with due honor and laid on a bed. The Emperor and the Pope knelt, asking the saint to open his hand. And Saint Alexy fulfilled their request.

The scroll with the biography of the saint was read by the reader of the temple in the name of the holy Apostle Peter. The father, mother and wife of Saint Alexy fell weeping to the body of the saint and bowed to his venerable remains. Many people cried at the sight of such an event. The bed with the body of Saint Alexis was placed in the middle of the central square. People began to flock to him to be cleansed and relieved of their ailments. The dumb began to speak, the blind began to see, the possessed and the mentally ill were cured. Seeing such grace, Emperor Honorius and Pope Innocent I themselves carried the body of the saint in the funeral procession. The honorable remains of Saint Alexis, the man of God, were buried in the church in the name of Saint Boniface on March 17, 411. In 1216 the relics of the saint were found. From time immemorial, his life was one of the most beloved in Rus'.

Since ancient times, Saint Alexei has been revered. This man of God, who was not tonsured a monk, but was canonized.

“O Great Saint of Christ, holy man of God Alexei, pray to God for us!” - that's what it might sound like short prayer, which can be read daily by anyone about protecting their home, family, city and state as a whole. You can ask for help and protection in dangerous everyday situations, at sea and on land, in a war zone and just in the morning, for the coming day.

Name

Protection, reflection, prevention - all these words characterize Alexey. This name occupies a special position in Rus'. IN Orthodox calendar St. Alexei's day occurs more than once; there are several saints with that name. Orthodox believers especially revere the son of the Romanovs, Tsarevich Alexei. Tsarevich Alexei and the monk are connected by an invisible thread. After all, it was only under him that special services began to be held in churches and churches were built in the name of the saint.

For example, by order of Tsar Mikhail Romanov, a temple named after the saint was built in a village owned by Princess Trubetskoy. This village was called Kopytovo, and later renamed Alekseevskoye. Here the king spent a lot of time hunting and simply relaxing with his family. It was from this place that he went on pilgrimage to Over time, the wooden church fell into disrepair and was dismantled. The throne was moved to the built stone church of the Tikhvin Mother of God, where there is now the Alekseevsky chapel.

Roots

Saint Alexei himself has Roman roots. His parents were pious, had noble birth. The father's name was Euthymian, and the mother's name was Aglaida. The birth of the long-awaited son of a Roman couple occurred in the 5th century. Alexey was brought up in Christian traditions, following the example of his parents, who constantly helped the poor, widows, wanderers, orphans and everyone who needed their help. WITH youth he wanted to serve only God alone, however, when he reached the age of majority, he was forced to become engaged to a young noblewoman.

But without living with her, the young groom immediately gave his ring to the bride. “Let the Lord be between us...” said Alexey, making it clear to his wife that she should keep the ring until God renews them with his grace. Having said this, he went to Asia, where he gave away everything he had and took the form of a beggar.

Now Alexey, a holy man, became a simple beggar begging for alms near the temple. He set aside nights for fervent prayer to God. This went on for seventeen years. The monk's only food was water and bread. It is impossible to describe the joy he experienced when accepting alms from his own servants, who were in search of the master’s missing son and, by the providence of God, ended up in these places.

The servants did not recognize the owner in the emaciated beggar asking for alms at the temple. Alexey was known as a man of God and a righteous man among the local population. So that fame would not touch his heart, he decided to leave this place and set off from Edessa, the city where he had spent all this time (today it is modern Turkey), wherever his eyes looked, boarding the first ship he came across, which was heading to Tarsus (the homeland of the Apostle Paul ).

Providence of God

But by God's providence Saint Alexei did not reach his destination. A strong storm changed the course of the ship, and he ended up back in Rome. Arriving at his home, he was not recognized by his parents, wife, servants... But they gladly accepted the stranger and provided him with a place in their possessions. So the righteous man spent another seventeen years, subjected to all sorts of mockery from the servants, who took away from him the food sent to the pilgrim from the master’s table. It cannot be said that the saint lived these years easily, watching from the sidelines his parents and wife, who were grieving for the missing Alexei...

Death

Feeling the approach of death, Saint Alexei, the man of God, described his life in detail. And at the same time, the people heard the voice of God in St. Peter’s Basilica itself, which called to find a man of God capable of praying for Rome. People were at a loss as to how they heard God’s call a second time. This happened in the presence of Emperor Honorius himself. The voice pointed to the house of Mr. Euthymian, where the servants confirmed the presence of a beggar in it, who performs unceasing prayer and humbly endures all humiliation. Arriving at Euthymian’s house, people saw the righteous Alexei, who had died, whose face was shining, and in his hands was a scroll describing his entire life.

First miracles

The parents and wife wept for a long time at the body of the saint. They were amazed at his righteousness. And the scroll in Alexei’s hands was so clamped that no one could take it. And only after the emperor himself humbly knelt before the body of the righteous man and asked him to open his hands in order to take what was written, the scroll became available for reading.

After the body of the ascetic was transferred to the cathedral square, streams of pilgrims flowed to him, many of whom received miraculous healings. Even the emperor himself carried the remains of the saint. The pilgrim was buried on March thirtieth in the Church of St. Boniface. Now it's St. Alexis Day. It was here that he once married his wife. Thus, Saint Alexei, without taking monastic vows, achieved righteousness and is revered as a great ascetic who received the face of a saint.

Reverence

Until the tenth century, veneration of the saint spread mainly throughout the Orthodox East. Since the tenth century, his name appears in the calendar of Rome. In 1216 the relics of the saint were found. They are placed under the altar of the temple located on the Aventine Hill. Although the church itself, since 986, bore the name of St. Boniface and Alexei. Below is a photo of St. Alexis depicted in the icon. Today the relics of the saint are divided and kept in different parts Orthodox world. There are legends about the gift of the head of Alexei to the Greek monastery of Agia Lavra by Emperor Manuel II, about the abduction of the hand of the righteous man from Sofia by a Novgorod merchant, and others. In 2006, a particle of relics, donated by the Italian side, arrived at the St. John the Baptist Monastery.

IN Western Europe The name of the saint quickly gained fame thanks to the numerous missionaries and preachers who arrived here from the East. The first European work was a poem written in the Languedoan dialect French, authored by Thibault Champagne.

Glorification of the image

In Russia, the image of the saint, his life and asceticism inspired artists and writers to create various kinds of works. His veneration came from Byzantium. In the Middle Ages, the book “Holy Tales,” the author of which was Jacob of Varaginsky, became very popular. This work is popularly known as “The Golden Legend”. These legends were known throughout Europe. The book described two hundred lives of saints, among whom was the righteous Saint Alexei. The works were copied in monasteries in different languages: from Catalan, German to Polish.

The Golden Legend was criticized more than once during the Reformation, but at the same time it was second only to the Bible in popularity. Until the seventeenth century, many icons, paintings, engravings, frescoes, oratorios, operas and other works of art were created based on tales from the Golden Legend. Among them, Saint Alexei occupies a significant place. In Rus' at this very time, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, many songs, poems and tales dedicated to the righteous man were composed.

USSR times

But in subsequent years the name Alexey was glorified. For example, during Soviet Union There were a sufficient number of heroes named Alexei. It was even written famous song“Alyosha”, the authors of which were Eduard Kolmanovsky. Alyosha - it was collective image, national hero not only for Russians, but also for Bulgarians. The song “Alyosha” became the anthem of the city of Plovdiv, and private Alexey Skurlatov became the prototype for the eleven-meter monument. He was a member military operation 1944 in Bulgaria, intelligence officer and telephone line operator between Sofia and Plovdiv.

Oblivion

Unfortunately, after certain events in 1989, the song “Alyosha” stopped playing every day on the radio station in the city of Plovdiv. The local community demanded that the monument be demolished as a sign of “ Soviet occupation" However, by decision of the Bulgarian Supreme Court, the monument was not touched and was left as a symbol of the Second World War. The name Alyosha is still very popular among the Slavic population, especially in Russia and Bulgaria. And in famous city In Kharkov, an entire district is named after the saint - Alekseevka. There is also a source of the same name.

Iconography and church services

Regarding iconography, we can say that the first icon of St. Alexis dates back to the eighth century. He was depicted in the frescoes of the Roman Church of Saints Boniface and Alexios on the Aventine Hill. Russian icon painting is characterized by some similarities in the images of St. John the Baptist and the righteous Alexei. In Europe, icon painting mainly depicts scenes from the life of a pilgrim, according to legends described in various sources. Most often, the Pope is depicted kneeling before the deceased saint and servants pouring dirty water on the beggar Alexei.

At church services, the Orthodox Saint Alexei is mentioned in the studio edition of the Menaion and during the reading of a special canon compiled by Joseph the Songwriter. Unlike Orthodox Church, the Catholic excluded the celebration of the saint from the new calendar.

This happened during the reform movement. Now this day is not obligatory for celebration, but has become memorable and solemn for monasteries and orders bearing the name of the righteous man. However, Saint Alexey lived his life this way not for glorifying himself, but for the opportunity to unite with his Heavenly Father, the creator of everything visible and invisible, the giver of life and light, love and goodness.

Prayerful sighs

Throughout Christendom one can hear sighs to God and requests addressed to the saint. In Orthodoxy, this is a special righteous person to whom believers turn daily. There are many known cases of healing and other miracles that God shows in relation to people, in whose hearts and lips there is a prayer to Saint Alexei, requests for help addressed to the righteous man, who has acquired great grace from God through his ascetic life.

This prayer is described in many Orthodox prayer books and other sources. They can be purchased in church shops, Orthodox churches, can be found on electronic resources on the Internet. However, even if you do not have it at hand, you can always, in the depths of your soul, in heartfelt prayer, turn to the saint for help. Say in your own words everything that hurts, turn to him as a friend and a living primate before the Almighty. Be sure: your request will definitely be heard, and if it does not contradict God’s law, if it is not aimed at harming others or yourself, God will definitely answer St. Alexei’s request for your need.