Siluan Afonsky: life. Saint Silouan the Athonite

There lived a man named Siluan Afonsky. He prayed daily and desperately, asking God to pardon him. But his prayers remained unanswered. A few months passed, and his strength was exhausted. Siluan despaired and shouted into heaven: "You are implacable." With these words, something broke in his soul. For a moment he saw a living Christ in front of him. His heart and body filled the fire - with such force that, if the vision lasted a couple of seconds, the monk would simply die. Throughout his life, Siluan remembered the inexpressibly mild, joyful, boundlessly loving look of Jesus and told others that God is an inconceivable and immeasurable love. We will talk about this holy in this article.

Childhood

Siluan Afonsky (real name - Semyon Antonov) was born in Tambov province in 1866. The boy heard about God for the first time in four years. Somehow his father, who liked to host guests and ask them about something interesting, invited a book-maker into the house. During the meal, a "hot" conversation about the existence of God was fastened, and a small Semyon sat next to him and listened attentively. The book-maker urged his father that the Lord does not exist. Especially the boy remembered his words: "Where is he, God?" Simon said to his father: "You teach me prayers, and this man denies the existence of the Lord." To which he replied: "Do not listen to him. I thought he was smart, but it turned out to be the other way around. " But the father's answer has buried his doubts in the boy's soul.

Youth

Fifteen years have passed. Semyon grew up and got a job as a joiner in the estate of Prince Trubetskoi. There also worked as a cook, who regularly went to pray at the grave of John Sezenevsky. She always talked about the life of the recluse and about the miracles taking place on his grave. Some of the workers present confirmed these stories and also considered John to be a saint. After hearing the future, the Reverend Siluan Afonsky distinctly sensed the presence of the Most High, and his heart burned with love for the Lord.

Since that day, Simon began to pray a lot. His soul and character changed, prompting in the youth attraction to monasticism. The prince had very beautiful daughters, but he looked at them as sisters, and not as women. At that time Semyon even asked his father to send him to the Kyiv-Pechora Lavra. He allowed, but only after the young man completed his military service.

Unusual power

The elder Siluan Afonsky had a huge physical strength in his youth. One day one of the prince's guests was about to harness the horse. But in the night severe frosts struck, and all her hooves were in the ice, and she did not give her off. Semyon clasped his horse's neck tightly and said to the peasant: "Fight off." The animal could not even jump. The resident knocked the ice off the hoofs, harnessed the horse and left.

Simon could also take a vat with boiling cabbage soup and take it to the table with his bare hands. Striking a fist, the young man interrupted a thick board. In the heat and cold, I lifted and carried weights for several hours without rest. By the way, he ate and drank the same way he worked. Once, after a hearty meat dinner for Easter, when everyone went home, the mother offered Semyon eggs. He did not refuse and gladly ate the glazun, in which, it is said, there were at least fifty eggs. It's the same with drinking. On holidays in a tavern Semyon could easily drink two and a half liter of vodka and not even get drunk.

The first big sin

The power of the young man, useful to him in the future for accomplishing feats, was the cause of the first great sin that Siluan Afonsky long otmalival.

On one of the holidays, when all the villagers were on the street, Semyon was walking with his comrades and playing the accordion. Towards them went two brothers, working in the village shoemakers. The eldest was of tremendous growth and strength, and besides, he liked to quarrel. He began to take the accordion from Semyon. He handed it to his comrade, and asked the shoemaker to calm down and go his own way. It did not help. The pudent fist flew toward Semyon.

This is how Saint Siluan Afonsky himself remembered: "At first I wanted to give in, but then I felt ashamed that the people would laugh at me. So I struck him hard in the chest. The shoemaker flew a few meters, and blood and foam poured from his mouth. I thought I killed him. Thank God everything worked out. About half an hour it was pumped out, pouring cold water. Then they raised it with difficulty and took them home. Finally, he recovered only two months later. After that, I had to be very careful, because my two brothers were constantly lying on the street with knives and truncheons. But the Lord has taken me away. "

The First Vision

Young life of the Seed "boiled". He had already forgotten about the desire to serve God and simply spent his time in an unchaste manner. After another drinking binge with friends, he dozed off and in a dream saw a snake creep into his mouth. Sensing the strongest disgust, Semyon woke up and heard the words: "After all, do you dislike what you saw? It's also unpleasant for me to watch what you do with your life. "

There was nobody nearby, but the voice that said these words was unusually pleasant and terrific. Siluan Afonsky was convinced that the Mother of God spoke with him. Until the end of his days, he thanked her for insisting on the true path. Semyon was ashamed of his past life, and he was strengthened in the desire to serve God after the end of military service. In him, a sense of sin awoke that completely changed his relationship to everything around him.

Military service

Serving Semyon was sent to Petersburg, to the Life Guards. In the army he was loved, since he was a good, calm and executive soldier. Once he went with three comrades to the city to celebrate a holiday in a tavern. All drank and communicated, and Simon sat and was silent. One of the soldiers asked him: "Why are you silent? What did he think about? "He replied:" Here we sit, have fun, and on Mount Athos now pray! "

Throughout his service in the army, Semyon constantly thought about this Holy Mountain and even sent there the salaries received. Once he went to the nearest village to transfer money. On the way back he met a mad dog, who wanted to pounce on him. Bound with fear, Simon only said: "Lord, have mercy!" The dog seemed to have stumbled upon an invisible barrier and ran into the village, where it harmed livestock and people. After this incident, he became even more entrenched in the desire to serve the Lord. When the service was over, Semyon came home, packed up his things and went to the monastery.

Arrival to the Holy Mountain

Silouan Athos, whose teaching is actual to this day, came to the Holy Mountain in 1892. His new ascetic life he began in the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon.

According to Athonite customs, the new novice must have been in complete peace for several days, remembering his own sins. Then put them in writing and confess to the confessor. The sins of Silvan were released, and his service to the Lord began: prayers in the cell, long worship services in the temple, vigils, fasts, communions, confessions, work, reading, obedience ... Over time, he learned Jesus' prayer for rosaries. In the monastery, everyone loved him and regularly praised him for good character and good work.

Monastic exploits

During the years of service to God on the Holy Mountain, the monk accomplished many ascetic feats, which most seem impossible. The monk's sleep was intermittent - he slept several times a day for 15-20 minutes, and did it on a stool. He did not have beds at all. Siluan Afonsky's prayer lasted all night. During the daytime the monk labored as a worker. He adhered to internal obedience, cutting off his own will. He was temperate in movements, conversations and food. In general, he was a role model.

Conclusion

Siluan Afonsky, whose life was described in this article, slept literally for a few minutes before the end of his life. And this is despite the diseases and melting forces. Thus, he freed a lot of time for prayer. Especially strenuously he did it at night, before matins. In September 1938, the monk died peacefully. With his life the Monk Siluan Afonsky showed an example of humility, meekness and love for his neighbors. Fifty years after the day of his death, the elder was ranked as a saint.