Saint Antoine de Kiev
Moine reclus de la Laure
des Grottes de Kiev (+ 1073)
Originaire des environs de Tchernigov, il se rend tout d'abord au Mont-Athos. Revenu en Russie, il parvient, en 1013, à Kiev et, après avoir visité les quelques monastères de la ville, il s'installe dans les grottes de Berestovo, creusées jadis par les "Rus" ou Varègues, qui créèrent les principautés slaves de Novgorod à Kiev, sous l'hégémonie des princes Oleg (+ 911) puis saint Vladimir (+ 1015). Après bien des péripéties, il fonde ainsi le monastère, la Laure des grottes de Kiev (Perchersky) et il encourage son disciple saint Théodose à suivre le "typikon" (Règle) du Studion de saint Ephrem à Constantinople. Lui-même obtint du prince Iziaslav, toute la colline dominant les grottes, puis, retiré dans la solitude, il devint ainsi le patriarche des moines de Russie.
Il figure à la date du 7 mai au martyrologe romain et à celle du 10 juillet sur des calendriers orthodoxes.
À Kiev en Russie, l'an 1073, saint Antoine, ermite, qui poursuivit dans la
laure des Cryptes la vie monastique qu'il avait apprise au Mont Athos.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/7528/Saint-Antoine-de-Kiev.html
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St.
Antonij Pecherskij
Преподобный
Антоний Печерский. Фрагмент Свенской иконы Божией Матери
Saint Antoine des Grottes
de Kiev
Programme
du VIIème dimanche après la Pentecôte – saint Antoine des Grottes de Kiev – ton
6
21 juillet 2017 par Henri de Villiers
Paroisse
catholique russe de la Très-Sainte Trinité, le dimanche 23 juillet 2017 du
calendrier grégorien, 10 juillet 2017 du calendrier julien, tierce & sexte
à 8h55, divine liturgie de saint Jean Chrysostome à 9h15.
Dimanche du ton VI de
l’Octoèque. Nous fêtons aussi en ce jour notre vénérable Père saint
Antoine des Grottes de Kiev, le premier de tous les moines russes.
Né en 983 à Lioubetch,
dans la région de Tchernigov, & ayant reçu au baptême le nom d’Antipas,
notre saint, désireux de se consacrer à Dieu, quitta sa patrie, et après un
séjour à Constantinople, parvint sur la Sainte Montagne de l’Athos. Il fut y
reçu au monastère d’Esphigménou sous le nom monastique d’Antoine, et y devint
disciple de l’Higoumène Théoctiste, homme à la vertu éminente. Au bout de
quelques années, Théoctiste renvoya son disciple en Russie, en lui disant :
Antoine, va en Russie,
afin d’y devenir un exemple et un guide pour le peuple. Que la bénédiction de
la Sainte Montagne soit avec toi !
Parvenu à Kiev en 1013,
il s’installa à non loin de la ville, au lieu dit Berestovo, dans une grotte, y
persévérant dans l’ascèse et la prière.
Après la mort de saint
Vladimir en 1015, l’impie Sviatopolk le Maudit monta sur le trône de Kiev. Pour
assurer son pouvoir impopulaire, il tua les saints princes Boris et Gleb, et
déclencha une persécution contre l’Eglise. Face à cette effusion de sang, saint
Antoine repartit pour la Sainte Montagne de l’Athos, où il obtint de se retirer
à quelques distance d’Esphigménou, dans la vie érémitique.
Iaroslav le Sage vainquit
Sviatopolk le Maudit en 1019, rétablit la foi chrétienne et construisit de
nombreuses églises. Un prêtre de Berestovo, nommé Hilarion vint alors
s’installer sur une colline boisée qui domine le Dniepr. Il y creusa une petite
grotte et mena en secret ses combats spirituels devant Dieu, jusqu’au jour où
il fut élevé au trône épiscopal de Kiev, en 1051. À cette date (qui est celle
retenue comme date de fondation de la Laure des Grottes de Kiev), Antoine fut
renvoyé en Russie par l’higoumène Théoctiste et alla s’établir dans la grotte
même où Hilarion avait vécu. L’endroit, qui lui rappelait l’Athos, lui plut, et
il pria Dieu que repose en ce lieu la bénédiction de la Sainte Montagne. Il y
mena une stricte ascèse et une prière incessante. Il ne se nourrissait que de
pain et d’eau, tous les deux ou trois jours, et quand il se trouvait en
contemplation, il pouvait passer une semaine entière sans nourriture ni
boisson.
Son mode de vie angélique
fut rapidement connu, et un grand nombre d’hommes pieux commencèrent à lui
rendre visite. Certains demandèrent à rester avec lui pour jouir de son
enseignement : d’abord le prêtre saint Nikon (fêté le 23 mars) puis saint
Théodose, une jeune homme alors âgé de vingt-trois ans (fête le 3 mai).
La renommée de saint
Antoine s’étant répandue sur toute la terre russe, le prince de Kiev, Iziaslav
Ier, qui avait succédé à Iaroslav le Sage en 1054, vint en personne recevoir sa
bénédiction, accompagné de toute sa cour. Cet événement eut pour effet d’amener
de nouveaux disciples vers la grotte, en particulier le bienheureux Barlaam,
fils du boyard Jean (fête le 19 novembre), et Ephrem l’eunuque, fils adoptif du
grand-prince (fête le 28 janvier). Quand le boyard Jean apprit que son fils
était devenu moine, il vint avec fureur jusqu’à la grotte, dispersa les moines
et, saisissant son fils, il déchira avec fureur son habit monastique et le
ramena de force à son palais. De son côté le grand-prince Iziaslav ordonna
d’arrêter saint Nikon, qui avait tonsuré son fils adoptif Ephrem, et menaça de
détruire la Grotte et de jeter les Pères dans un cachot. Saint Antoine et ses
disciples s’enfuirent en un autre lieu. Mais Gertrude de Pologne, épouse du
prince Iziaslav Ier, supplia celui-ci de cesser sa persécution, de peur que la
colère divine ne retombât sur eux. Le prince se calma et Antoine et ses
disciples se rassemblèrent à nouveau dans la grotte. Ils y furent bientôt
douze. La grotte initiale étant devenue trop exiguë, on l’agrandit, puis on
aménagea une chapelle à l’intérieur ainsi qu’un vaste réseau de grottes
communicant entre elles.
Saint Antoine, dont l’âme
était toujours avide de solitude, réunit un jour ses disciples et leur dit :
Mes enfants, vous savez
que le Seigneur nous a rassemblés ici, comme prémices de la bénédiction de tout
notre peuple. Vous êtes la bénédiction de la Sainte Montagne et de Notre Très
Sainte Mère de Dieu. C’est cette bénédiction que je vous laisse en héritage.
Vivez donc ensemble. Je vais vous laisser un abbé, car il convient que je me
retire dans la solitude. Je resterai cependant ici, et tant que je vivrai, je
demeurerai votre père spirituel.
Il désigna Barlaam comme
higoumène et se retira sur une colline voisine, où il se creusa une grotte (à
l’origine du second réseau de Grottes de Kiev). La communauté s’agrandissant
rapidement sous la sage conduite de saint Barlaam, il fut nécessaire de construire
une église plus vaste, à l’extérieur & au dessus du réseau primitif de
grottes cette fois. Peu après, le grand-prince de Kiev ayant nommé Barlaam
higoumène du monastère de Saint-Dimitri aux portes de Kiev, monastère qu’il
avait fondé, les frères allèrent demander à saint Antoine de leur désigner un
nouveau supérieur, et ce fut saint Théodose qui fut choisi. Sous sa direction,
la communauté dépassa la centaine de moines, et il devenait urgent de
construire un monastère pour les abriter. Saint Antoine envoya un frère auprès
du prince Iziaslav, afin de lui demander de leur concéder la propriété de toute
la colline et de leur procurer les fonds nécessaires aux constructions, ce
qu’il obtint. Les frères, sous la direction de saint Théodose, construisirent une
vaste église en bois et des cellules en nombre suffisant ; le tout fut entouré
de palissades défensives. Ils quittèrent alors leurs grottes pour vivre dans ce
monastère, qui garda cependant jusqu’aujourd’hui le nom de Laure des Grottes de
Kiev (Киево-Печерская лавра). Sous la direction de saint Théodose, la Laure des
Grottes reçut la règle du Studion de Constantinople, l’appliqua et la diffusa
dans toute la Russie, dont elle devint rapidement le poumon spirituel.
Pendant ce temps, saint
Antoine accédant dans sa grotte à de nouvelles cimes spirituelles, acquit en
abondance les dons de clairvoyance et de guérisons. Il bénissait des plantes
vénéneuses et en faisait une potion qu’il donnait à boire aux malades, lesquels
guérissaient aussitôt de leurs maux.
Quand Iziaslav et ses
frères durent faire face à une révolte populaire liée à l’invasion des
Polovtsiens (ou Cumans), ces princes vinrent demander à saint Antoine sa
bénédiction, qui la leur refusa : le saint ermite leur déclara que c’est en
raison de leurs péchés que leurs troupes avaient été défaites. Ayant dû se
réfugier en Pologne, Iziaslav bannit saint Antoine à son retour à Kiev
lorsqu’il put reprendre son trône. Notre saint s’exila alors à Tchernigov, où
il se creusa une nouvelle grotte, prémices du futur monastère Eletsky de cette
ville. Quelques temps après, pris de remords, Iziaslav rappela saint Antoine à
Kiev.
A son retour, Antoine
décida avec Théodose de construire une collégiale en pierre qui puisse
accueillir la communauté toujours croissante des frères. Ils firent venir à cet
effet des maçons de Constantinople. Après avoir béni la première pierre de
cette nouvelle église dédiée à la Dormition de la Vierge, sentant proche
l’heure de son départ de cette vie, saint Antoine rassembla les frères et les
consola, en leur disant qu’après son repos il n’abandonnerait pas le monastère
et veillerait sur eux pour la suite des siècles, se réjouissant des progrès de
tous ses enfants spirituels et priant pour qu’ils obtiennent miséricorde au
Jour du Jugement. Il leur demanda aussi que ses restes y soient à jamais cachés
dans une des grottes (et de fait, ses reliques n’ont jamais été retrouvées
jusqu’à ce jour).
Saint Antoine, qui était
devenu le patriarche de tous les moines de Russie comme jadis saint Antoine le
Grand l’avait été en Égypte, s’endormit dans le Seigneur le 10 juillet 1073, à
l’âge de 90 ans.
Sous le pape saint Jean
Paul II, son nom a aussi été inséré au Martyrologe romain à la date du 7 mai :
À Kiev en Russie, l’an
1073, saint Antoine, ermite, qui poursuivit dans la laure des Cryptes la vie
monastique qu’il avait apprise au Mont Athos.
Aux heures
A tierce : Tropaire du dimanche. Gloire au Père. Tropaire du Vénérable Père. Et maintenant. Theotokion de l’heure. Kondakion : du dimanche.
A sexte : Tropaire du dimanche. Gloire au Père. Tropaire du Vénérable Père. Et
maintenant. Theotokion de l’heure. Kondakion : du Vénérable Père.
Tropaires des Béatitudes : Six tropaires du dimanche, ton 6, & quatre tropaires de la 3ème ode du canon du Vénérable Père :
1. Souviens-toi de moi, Dieu Sauveur, * quand tu entreras dans ton royaume, ** seul Ami des hommes, sauve-moi.
2. Adam fut séduit par l’arbre défendu, * mais par celui de la Croix tu as sauvé * le bon Larron s’écriant : ** Dans ton royaume, Seigneur, souviens-toi de moi.
3. Ayant brisé les portes & les verrous de l’Enfer, * tu as ressuscité, Source de vie, * Sauveur, tous ceux qui s’écrient : ** Gloire à ta sainte Résurrection.
4. Souviens-toi de moi, Seigneur * qui par ta sépulture triomphas de la mort * & comblas de joie l’univers, ** Dieu de tendresse, par ta Résurrection.
5. Les Myrophores venues au tombeau * entendirent l’Ange proclamer : * Il est vraiment ressuscité, ** le Christ qui illumine le monde entier.
6. Le Christ qui fut cloué * sur le bois de la croix * &
sauva le monde de l’erreur, ** chantons-le tous d’un même chœur.
A la petite entrée :
1. Tropaire du dimanche, ton 6 : Devant ton sépulcre les Puissances des cieux, * autant que les soldats furent frappés d’effroi ; * et Marie Madeleine se tenait près du tombeau, * cherchant ton corps immaculé ; * mais tu brisas l’Enfer sans te laisser vaincre par lui, * tu rencontras la Vierge et nous donnas la vie. * Ressuscité d’entre les morts, ** Seigneur, gloire à toi.
2. Tropaire du Vénérable Père, ton 4 : En quittant le tumulte du monde, * conformément à l’Evangile, tu as suivi le Christ, * en rejetant le monde et en vivant une vie angélique, * tu as atteint le calme sur le saint mont Athos, * d’où, avec la bénédiction des pères, * Tu es allé au mont de Kiev ; * Et vivant là une vie industrieuse, * tu as éclairé ta patrie ; * Et montrant à une multitude de moines le chemin qui mène au royaume des cieux, * tu les as menés au Christ. * C’est pourquoi, prie-Le, Vénérable Père Antoine ** afin qu’Il sauve nos âmes.
3. Gloire au Père, & au Fils, & au Saint-Esprit.
4. Kondakion du Vénérable Père, ton 8 : T’étant attaché à Dieu, depuis ta jeunesse, tu l’as aimé avant tout, ô Vénérable Père. * Avec amour, tu l’as suivi de toute ton âme ; * en tenant le monde corrompu pour rien, * tu as creusé une grotte dans le sol * Et, ayant bien lutté contre les pièges de l’ennemi invisible, * comme un soleil rayonnant tu as brillé sur toutes les extrémités de la terre. * C’est pourquoi, dans la joie, tu es passé dans les demeures célestes, * et tu es désormais debout avec les anges devant le trône du Maître, souviens-toi de nous qui honorons ta mémoire, afin que nous puissions te crier : ** Réjouis-toi, ô Antoine, notre père !
5. Et maintenant, & toujours, & dans les siècles des siècles. Amen.
6. Kondakion du dimanche, ton 6 : De sa main vivifiante le Seigneur
source-de-vie, * le Christ notre Dieu, * a fait surgir tous
les morts des ténèbres de l’Enfer, * accordant la résurrection à tout
le genre humain ; * il est vraiment notre Sauveur, ** notre
vie, notre résurrection et le Dieu de l’univers.
Prokimen
Du dimanche, ton 6 :
℟. Sauve, Seigneur ton peuple, et béni ton héritage (Psaume 27, 9).
℣. Vers Toi, Seigneur, j’appelle : mon Dieu, ne reste pas silencieux en face de moi (Psaume 27, 1).
℟. Elle a du prix aux yeux du Seigneur, la mort de ses serviteurs (Psaume
115, 5).
Epîtres
Du dimanche : Romains (§ 116) XV, 1-7.
Que chacun de vous tâche de satisfaire son prochain dans ce qui est bon, et qui peut l’édifier.
Du Vénérable Père : Galates (§ 213) V, 22 – VI, 2.
Si nous vivons par l’Esprit, conduisons-nous aussi par l’Esprit.
Alleluia
Du dimanche, ton 6 :
℣. Ton amour, Seigneur, à jamais je le chante, d’âge en âge ma parole annonce ta fidélité (Psaume 88, 2).
℣. Car j’ai dit : l’amour est bâti à jamais, aux cieux tu as fondé ta
fidélité (Psaume 88, 3).
Du Vénérable Père, ton 6 :
℣. Bienheureux l’homme qui craint le Seigneur, et qui a une grande
affection pour ses commandements (Psaume 111, 1).
Evangiles
Du dimanche : Matthieu (§ 33) IX, 27-35.
Or Jésus allant de tous côtés dans les villes et dans les villages, enseignait dans leurs synagogues, et prêchait l’Évangile du royaume, guérissant toutes sortes de langueurs et de maladies.
Du Vénérable Père : Matthieu (§ 10), IV, 25 – V, 12.
Réjouissez-vous, et tressaillez de joie ; parce qu’une grande récompense vous
est réservée dans les cieux.
Verset de communion
Du dimanche : Louez le Seigneur du haut des cieux, louez-le au plus haut
des cieux. (Psaume 148, 1).
Du Vénérable Père : La mémoire du juste sera
éternelle (Psaume 111, 6). Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Télécharger le livret des choristes au format PDF
SOURCE : https://schola-sainte-cecile.com/tag/saint-antoine-des-grottes-de-kiev/
St Antoine, fondateur des
Grottes de Kiev
Notre Saint Père Antoine naquit en 983 à Lubetch, dans la région de Tchernigov, et reçut le nom d'Antipas au Saint Baptême. Désirant depuis son plus jeune âge se consacrer à Dieu, il quitta sa patrie et, passant par Constantinople, il parvint sur la Sainte Montagne de l'Athos. Après avoir visité les Monastères, où la vie angélique des moines embrasa encore plus son coeur d'amour pour le Seigneur, il fut reçu au monastère d'Esphigménou et devint disciple de l'Higoumène Théoctiste, homme à la vertu éminente. Se faisant violence en tout pour observer les commandements à la perfection, Antoine faisait la joie des frères. Au bout de quelques années, Théoctiste, à la suite d'une révélation divine, renvoya son disciple en Russie, en lui disant: « Antoine, va en Russie, afin d'y devenir un exemple et un guide pour le peuple. Que la bénédiction de la Sainte Montagne soit avec toi! » Parvenu à Kiev, en 1013, il visita les Monastères de la ville, mais ne trouva pas l'endroit qu'il recherchait. Se dirigeant vers les collines voisines, il découvrit, à Berestovo, une grotte jadis creusée par les Varanges (ou Varègues), et s'y installa pour y persévérer dans l'ascèse et la prière.
Après la mort de Saint Vladimir (1015, cf. 15 juil.), son fils, l'impie Sviatopolk, monta sur le trône de Kiev. Pour accaparer tout le pouvoir, il tua ses frères, les Saints princes Boris et Gleb (cf. 24 juil.), et déclencha une persécution sanglante contre les hommes de Dieu. Voyant cette effusion de sang, Saint Antoine repartit pour la Sainte Montagne. Mais ayant goûté au miel de l'hésychia, il obtint de Théoctiste de se retirer à quelques distance d'Esphigménou, sur le mont Samarie .
Le prince ami-de-Dieu, Iaroslav, ayant vaincu Sviatopolk (1019), rassembla les moines qui s'étaient dispersés et fit construire de nombreuses églises. Un Prêtre de Berestovo, nommé Hilarion, renommé pour sa vie ascétique et sa connaissance des Écritures, vint alors s'installer sur la colline boisée, proche du Dniepr, où s'élève aujourd'hui le Monastère des Grottes. Il y creusa une petite grotte et mena en secret ses combats spirituels devant Dieu, jusqu'au jour où il fut élevé au trône épiscopal de Kiev (105 1). À la même époque, Théoctiste reçut la révélation de renvoyer Antoine en Russie; et Dieu conduisit les pas du Saint jusqu'à la grotte où Hilarion avait vécu. L'endroit, qui lui rappelait l'Athos, lui plut, et il pria Dieu que repose en ce lieu la bénédiction de la Sainte Montagne. Il y mena une stricte ascèse, ayant pour oeuvre incessante la prière. Il ne se nourrissait que de pain et d'eau, tous les deux ou trois jours, et quand il se trouvait emporté en de saintes contemplations, il pouvait passer une semaine entière sans nourriture ni boisson. Son mode de vie angélique fut rapidement connu des habitants du lieu, et un grand nombre d'hommes pieux commencèrent à lui rendre visite. Certains demandèrent à rester avec lui pour jouir de son enseignement: d'abord le Prêtre Nicon (cf. 23 mars) et ensuite Saint Théodose, alors âgé de vingt-trois ans (cf. 3 mai).
La renommée de Saint Antoine s'étant répandue sur toute la terre russe, le prince de Kiev, lziaslav, qui avait succédé à Iaroslav (1054), vint en personne prendre sa bénédiction, accompagné de toute sa cour. Cet événement eut pour effet d'amener de nouveaux disciples vers la grotte, en particulier le bienheureux Barlaam, fils du boïar Jean (cf. 19 nov.), et Ephrem l'eunuque, fils adoptif du grand-prince (cf. 28 janv.). Quand le boïar Jean apprit que son fils était devenu moine, il vint avec fureur jusqu'à la Grotte, dispersa les moines et, saisissant son fils, il déchira avec fureur son Habit monastique et le ramena de force à son palais. De son côté le grand-prince Iziaslav ordonna d'arrêter Saint Nicon, qui avait tonsuré Ephrem, et menaça de détruire la Grotte et de jeter les Pères dans un cachot. Saint Antoine et ses disciples s'enfuirent en un autre lieu. Mais l'épouse du prince supplia Iziaslav de cesser sa persécution, de peur que la colère divine ne retombât sur eux, comme cela avait été le cas dans sa patrie, la Pologne, quand son père avait expulsé les moines . Le prince se calma et envoya des messagers pour rappeler Saint Antoine. Peu après son retour dans la Grotte, Dieu, ayant entendu la prière de son serviteur, rassembla ses disciples dispersés, auxquels se joignirent de nouveaux frères, de sorte qu'ils furent bientôt douze, comme les Apôtres autour du Seigneur. La Grotte étant devenue trop exiguë, on l'agrandit, puis on aménagea une chapelle à l'intérieur et des cellules aux alentours.
Saint Antoine, dont l'âme était toujours avide de solitude, réunit un jour ses disciples et leur dit: « Mes enfants, vous savez que le Seigneur nous a rassemblés ici, comme prémices de la bénédiction de tout notre peuple. Vous êtes la bénédiction de la Sainte Montagne et de Notre Très Sainte Mère de Dieu. C'est cette bénédiction que je vous laisse en héritage. Vivez donc ensemble. Je vais vous laisser un abbé, car il convient que je me retire dans la solitude. Je resterai cependant ici, et tant que je vivrai, je demeurerai votre père spirituel. » Il désigna Barlaam comme Higoumène et se retira sur une colline voisine, où il se creusa une grotte . La communauté s'agrandissant rapidement sous la sage conduite de Saint Barlaam, il fut nécessaire de construire une église plus vaste, à l'extérieur de la Grotte. Les frères édifièrent d'abord une église dédiée à la Dormition de la Mère de Dieu, au-dessus de leur première grotte. Peu après, le grand-prince ayant nommé Barlaam Higoumène du monastère de SaintDimitrios, qu'il avait fondé, les frères allèrent demander à Saint Antoine de leur désigner un nouveau supérieur; et Saint Théodose fut choisi, à cause de son obéissance, de sa douceur et de son humilité. Sous sa direction, la communauté s'accrut de vingt à plus de cent moines, et il devenait urgent de construire un monastère pour les abriter. Saint Antoine envoya un frère auprès du prince Iziaslav, afin de lui demander de leur concéder la propriété de toute la colline et de leur procurer les fonds nécessaires aux constructions. Les frères, sous la direction de Saint Théodose, construisirent une vaste église en bois et des cellules en nombre suffisant. Ils quittèrent alors leurs grottes pour vivre dans ce monastère, qui garda cependant le nom de Laure des Grottes de Kiev (Petchersky).
Grâce aux prières de Saint Antoine, Théodose fit la connaissance du moine Michel du Studion, qui était en visite en Russie. Il l'interrogea sur tous les usages, liturgiques et monastiques, de cet illustre monastère, et ayant par la suite reçu le Typikon du Studion de Saint Éphrem, il en fit la règle suivie depuis lors par les Monastères Russes.
Pendant ce temps, Saint Antoine accédant dans sa grotte à de nouvelles cimes spirituelles, acquit en abondance les dons de clairvoyance et de guérisons. Il bénissait des plantes vénéneuses et en faisait une potion qu'il donnait à boire aux malades, lesquels guérissaient aussitôt de tous leurs maux.
L'homme de Dieu prédit aux princes Iziaslav de Kiev, Sviatoslav de Chernigov et Vsevolod de Pereyslav, la défaite qu'ils subirent sur l'Alta contre les Polovtsiens qui envahirent ensuite la terre russe, pillant les villes et faisant d'innombrables captifs. Les habitants de Kiev réclamaient à lziaslav de résister contre les barbares, mais celui-ci n'osa pas risquer une nouvelle défaite. Il fut détrôné et s'enfuit en Pologne où, après avoir rassemblé une armée, il réussit, au bout de sept mois, à reconquérir la ville (1069). Un des proches du prince accusa alors Antoine d'avoir sympathisé avec Vseslav l'usurpateur, de sorte qu'Iziaslav entra en grande colère contre l'homme de Dieu. A cette époque, Saint Antoine prenait soin du reclus Isaac, qui avait été trompé par le démon (cf 14 fév.). L'Ennemi du genre humain, se voyant vaincu par les prières du Saint, inspira alors au prince de chasser Antoine de son royaume pour interrompre la guérison d'Isaac. Le prince de Chernigov, Sviatoslav, ayant appris le ressentiment nourri par son frère à l'égard du Saint, invita Saint Antoine dans sa principauté. Antoine y choisit un endroit peu éloigné de la cité et y creusa une grotte, où il reprit, sans trouble, sa vie ascétique. Iziaslav ayant cependant réalisé que le Saint était innocent et comprenant la ruse du démon, envoya des émissaires auprès d'Antoine, afin de le supplier de revenir vers son troupeau spirituel.
Après son retour à Kiev, Saint Antoine redoubla ses labeurs ascétiques : ses
jours et ses nuits étaient un combat incessant contre le Prince des ténèbres
pour faire régner la lumière du Christ. Comme il avait béni l'endroit où devait
être construite l'église du monastère, et qu'à sa prière des maçons venant de
Constantinople s'étaient présentés, sentant que l'heure de son départ de cette
vie était proche, Saint Antoine rassembla les frères et les consola, en leur
disant qu'après son repos il n'abandonnerait pas le Monastère et veillerait sur
eux pour la suite des siècles, se réjouissant des progrès de tous ses enfants
spirituels et priant pour qu'ils obtiennent miséricorde au Jour du Jugement.
Ayant vécu seize ans dans sa seconde grotte, Saint Antoine, qui était devenu le
patriarche des moines de Russie comme jadis Saint Antoine le Grand l'avait été
en Égypte, s'endormit dans le Seigneur le 10 juillet 107318, à l'âge de 90 ans.
Son corps fut déposé dans sa grotte et, tout comme le Saint avait souhaité
resté caché aux yeux des hommes durant sa vie, ainsi ses précieuses Reliques,
qui avaient été déposées dans sa grotte, sous le grand Monastère, restèrent
inaccessibles. Chaque fois qu'on essaya de creuser dans la grotte pour les
découvrir, un feu jaillissait de terre et brûlait les audacieux. Bien que
cachées, elles n'en continuèrent pas moins d'être une source de guérisons et de
bienfaits pour les fidèles.
SOURCE : https://www.crkvenikalendar.com/zitije_fr.php?pok=0&id=EZI
Sant'Antonio Pecierskij. Immagine del santo
dal monastero delle Grotte di Kiev
Saint
Anatolius (Anatoliy) the Recluse of Kyiv Caves
Анатолій
затвірник. Ближні печери. - XII ст. Чернець Печерського монастиря. Преподобний.
Пам'ять 11 жовтня і 16 липня.
Біографічні дані невідомі. Його мощі спочивають у Ближніх печерах.
St. Anthony Pechersky
Feastday: July 10
Birth: 983
Death: 1073
Ukrainian hermit. Born in
983 in Ljibeck in the Ukraine, Anthony went to the famed monastic community on
Mt. Athos in Greece to
become a hermit, remaining there for several years. He returned to the Ukraine
and built a hermitage in Kiev. The site became the "Caves of Kiev,"
the first Ukrainian monastery founded by Ukrainians. Land for the monastery was
given to Anthony by a local prince. He founded another monastery in Chernagov
but died in the Caves of Kiev. Anthony is called one of the fathers of
Ukrainian monasticism.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1463
Orthodox America
The Fathers of Russian
Monasticism
St.
Anthony of the Kiev Caves (July 10)
St.
Theodosius of the Kiev Caves (May 3)
After the seeds of Divine
grace had been planted through the Mystery of Baptism, it was the early growth
of a native monasticism with its intense cultivation of spiritual life which
most effectively encouraged the Gospel teaching to take root among the peoples
of Rus', The first of these native monasteries, the Kiev Caves Lavra, has been
called "the cradle of Russian Christianity," and its founders, Sts.
Anthony and Theodosius, are appropriately venerated as the father s of Russian
monasticism. Together with their disciples, they shone forth upon the Russian
land as spiritual luminaries, dispelling the darkness of paganism and calling
people, by example, into Christ's marvelous light.
Commemorated July 10
At the time of the
Baptism of Rus' in 988, there lived in the town of Liubech a young boy by the
name of Antip. He was educated by his parents in Christian piety, and upon
coming of age he set out for the Holy Mountain of Athos to observe for himself
the life of the monks whose ascetic struggles were extolled by Greek
missionaries at work among the peoples of the Kieran princedom, Inspired by the
monastic ideal, the youth chose to follow this angelic path himself and was
soon tonsured with the name Anthony. He settled not far from the monastery of
Esphigmenou in a small cave overlooking the sea.
The zealous young ascetic
had been there only a few years when the abbot, prompted by Divine revelation,
sent him back to his native land in order that his example might serve to draw
others from among the recently enlightened people to embrace the monastic life.
Arriving in Kiev, Anthony
made the rounds of the various Greek monasteries there, but finding none of
them to his liking --for he was accustomed to the more austere, Athonite
tradition--he discovered a small cave not far from the city and there resumed
his life of solitary struggle.
His peace, however, was
interrupted by the fratricidal turmoil which followed upon the death of Great
Prince Vladimir in 1015 and the seizure of the throne by his ruthlessly
ambitious son Svyatopolk, and Anthony decided to return to Athos, But as soon
as this time of troubles passed, the abbot sent him back once again to Kiev
with the blessing of the Holy Mountain, encouraging him with the prophecy that
many monks would join him.
On his return, Anthony
discovered another cave where the ascetic priest Hilarion had been wont to
retire for prayer before his appointment as first Metropolitan of Rus'.
Enlarging it just enough to make it habitable, Anthony settled there as a
hermit. Some kind people, on learning of his presence there, supplied him with
the scant provisions he would accept. He subsisted almost exclusively on bread
and water.
The Saint's life of
solitude was short lived, as people began coming to ask his blessing and
counsel. Soon, there came also those who desired to share his way of life. One
of the first to join the Saint was the priest Nikon (March 23) who later
tonsured another newcomer and Anthony's closest disciple, Theodosius.
From the beginning, the
emerging monastic community enjoyed the favor of the royal household, although
it was not always a smooth relationship. When the son of a wealthy boyar gave
up his worldly goods for a monastic life of voluntary poverty, his father
complained to the Prince. Soon thereafter a favorite among the Prince's retinue
followed suit and was likewise tonsured by Nikon. Prince Izyaslav angrily
demanded that Nikon persuade the two to abandon their new way of life,
threatening Nikon with his wrath. "Do with me as you will," replied
Nikon calmly, "but I cannot take soldiers away from the King of
Heaven." The Prince's anger unabated, St. Anthony decided it would be
expedient for him to depart for a season which he did until the Prince,
assuaged by his wife, the pious Maria Casimirovna, requested his return.
When the number of
brothers reached twelve, Anthony expressed his desire to retire into solitude.
"God has gathered you and there rests upon you His blessing and the
blessing of the Holy Mountain. Now live in peace; I am appointing for you an
abbot, for I wish to live alone as before." And he began digging for
himself a new cave, some 200 yards from the old one, which later came to be
known as the "Far Caves."
The first abbot, Barlaam
(Nov. 14), was soon called by Prince Izyaslav to head the monastery of St.
Demetrios which he had newly established at the gates to the city. When the
brethren asked St. Anthony to designate a new abbot, the choice fell upon
Theodosius whom he particularly loved for his meekness and obedience.
As more new brethren
joined the community and conditions became crowded, Anthony requested from the
Prince the hill in which the caves were located. When this was granted, the
monks built there a wooden church and some cells, and encircled the area with a
fence.
But even with Theodosius
as abbot, St. Anthony continued to guide the community. In his humility
Theodosius did nothing without going first to St. Anthony's cave to ask his
advice and his blessing. And others came, for St. Anthony was widely recognized
as a holy man rich with the gifts of healing, of clairvoyance and spiritual
discernment.
Once, as Prince Izyaslav
and his brothers were preparing to fight the Kumans, they came to ask Anthony's
blessing. The Saint foretold that because of their sins they would suffer
defeat, but that the Viking prince Shimon, who had taken refuge with the
princes of Rus' after having been expelled from his native Scandinavia, would
survive and return to Kiev where he would live for many more years, "and
you will be buried in a church that you will build." Both these prophecies
were precisely fulfilled.
It was not long after
this ill-fated campaign that Kiev became the stage of a rebellion which forced
Izyaslav into exile. He suspected Anthony of sympathizing with his opposition
and intended, on his return, to banish him. But before he could act on this
design, his brother Svyatoslav, Prince of Chernigov, arranged for the Saint to
be brought secretly to Chernigov. There St. Anthony dug for himself a cave, and
thus laid the foundation, as it were, of the Yeletsk Monastery which was later
established on that site.
Finally Izyaslav was
persuaded of the Saint' s innocence and asked that he return to Kiev. Shortly
thereafter Izyaslav's reign came to an end; he was overthrown by his brothers
and Svyatoslav became Grand Prince.
In view of the steadily
increasing number of monks, Sts. Anthony and Theodosius purposed to build a
large stone church. Certain miraculous signs confirmed God's blessing upon this
undertaking. Many people saw a bright light at night over the proposed site of
the new church. And when the Viking Prince Shimon returned from fighting the
Kumans, he related that as he lay wounded on the field of battle, he saw a
vision of a magnificent church set in the midst of the Caves Lavra. He had had
a similar vision before setting sail from his native land. He was praying
before an image of the Crucified Lord when the Saviour Himself appeared and
told him that in that far away land which would receive him, a church would be
built. He instructed Shimon to take from the crucifix the gold crown and gold
belt with which it was adorned; the crown was to be hung above the altar of the
new church, and the belt was to be used in fixing the dimensions of its
foundation--30 times its measurement in length and 20 times in breadth. As he
sailed away, Shimon saw in the night sky a church set in a blaze of light. St.
Anthony reverently accepted the gold crown and belt, and the church was built
according to the measurements so wondrously revealed to the Viking prince.
The venerable Anthony,
however, did not live to see the church completed. In 1073, soon after blessing
its foundation, he peacefully gave his soul to God, having spent 90 years on
this earth in fruitful spiritual labors. Before his departure he called his
monks together and comforted them with the promise that he would always remain
with them in spirit and would pray the Lord to bless and protect the community.
He also promised that all those who stayed in the monastery in repentance and
obedience to the abbot would find salvation. The Saint asked that his remains
be forever hidden from the eyes of men. His desire was fulfilled. He is said to
have been buried in the cave where he reposed, but his relics have never been
found. However, multitudes came to pray in his cave, and there, many who were
sick found healing.
The Life of St.
Theodosius, St. Anthony’s closest disciple and co-founder of the Kiev Caves
Lavra, forms a valuable chapter in early Russian hagiography. Preserved in the
Kiev Caves Patericon, it was written by the chronicler Nestor about ten years
after the Saint’s repose in 1074, and is based on accounts of contemporaries;
the description of his youth comes from the Saint’s own mother.
St. Theodosius of the
Kiev Caves
Commemorated May 8
Theodosius, whose name
means "gift of God," grew up in the small cities of Vasilkov and
Kursk where his father was a judge. Although his parents were Christian and
gave him an education directed primarily at the study of Scripture, they were
astonished to see his heart so completely overtaken by love for God.
His father died when I
heodosius was 13, and this caused the boy to retreat still further from the
world common to one of his age and social rank. He gave away his good clothes,
preferring to dress like the poor, and found pleasure in helping the peasants
with their work. He often went to church, and when he learned that Divine
Liturgy was sometimes not celebrated due to a lack of prosphora, he undertook
to bake them himself. His mother loved him dearly, but she did not share her
son's life-encompassing Christian outlook; she was very conscious of her social
standing and felt that by engaging in such lowly occupations Theodosius brought
shame upon the family. She tried cajoling, then threatening and even physically
beating him to make him change his ways, but Theodosius stood firmly on the
path of the Gospel commandments.
His zeal for the things
of God inspired Theodosius to slip away with a band of pilgrims bound for the
Holy Land. Three days later his mother tracked him down, berated the pilgrims
for having taken the boy along, and dragged Theodosius home where she kept him
in chains until the youth promised not to leave her again.
The humility of the youth
and the sufferings he endured at the hands of his mother came to the attention
of the governor who requested that the youth attend him in church. This served
to calm the domestic drama, but Theodosius' heart yearned for a more
concentrated spiritual atmosphere, for monastic life. Standing in church one
day, he was struck by the words of the Gospel: "He who loves father or
mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." With fixed resolve, he took
advantage of his mother's departure into the country for a few days to set out
for Kiev, taking with him nothing but some bread for the road. The monks in the
established monasteries, however, turned him away because he had no money. Then
he heard about the righteous Anthony. Coming to his cave, Theodosius fell to
his knees and begged the holy ascetic to accept him.
My son ," said
Anthony, "you see my cave; it is cramped and dismal, and I fear you will
not endure the difficulties of life here." "Know, O blessed
father," replied Theodosius. "that God Himself has led me to your
holiness that I might find salvation. I shall do all that you enjoin."
Foreseeing his future greatness, the blessed Anthony accepted the determined
aspirant and bade the priest monk Nikon tonsure him. Theodosius was 23 years
old.
It was a few years before
his distraught mother finally discovered her son’s whereabouts. With great
reluctance Theodosius went out to her. At first she vowed that she would die if
he did not come home with her. But gradually God softened her heart and she
came to see the wisdom of her son's patient admonitions. Following his advice
she entered the St. Nicholas convent there in Kiev where she ended her days in
peace.
When Theodosius became
abbot, he saw need for a common rule to unite the growing community--which by
that time was living above the ground; only a few hermits were left in the
caves--and he sent one of his monks to Constantinople to copy out the rule of
the Studite Monastery. The rule governed the daily life of the monk: it set the
hours of prayer and work; monks were forbidden to have any personal
possessions, everything was held in common; all monks were together for common
meals: time, apart from prayer, was to be spent in working; all activity was
begun with a blessing from an elder and with prayer. The monks were to reveal
their thoughts to the abbot, a practice which roused them to constant spiritual
vigilance and helped to check manifestations of the passions before they took
root in the heart.
Above all things, have
fervent charity among yourselves. (I Peter 4:8)
It was St, Theodosius'
choice of the Studite Rule, with its emphasis on the duty of charity and the
common good, which served to revive the ancient ideal of strict cenobitism and
gave Russian monasticism its characteristic warmth. "What is principally
necessary," taught Theodosius, "is that the youngest should love
their neighbor and listen to their elders with humility and obedience. The
elders should lavish on the young love and instruction; they should teach them
and comfort them." This attitude created an atmosphere eminently suitable
for missionary work, and it was thanks to the monasteries that Christianity was
so successfully propagated in Russia.
Of a strong constitution,
Theodosius was a model of industriousness. Even as abbot, he felled trees,
carried water, and ground wheat, often helping the other brethren with their
obediences. Once, the cook came to ask if he would assign a monk to cut
firewood, as the kitchen supply was depleted. "I am idle," replied
the Saint, and he set to chopping wood himself. He worked through the dinner
hour and the brethren, when they came out and saw their abbot hard at work,
were inspired to do likewise.
Knowing the great benefit
of good books upon the soul, Theodosius instituted the reading of spiritually
profitable texts during meals, and sought to augment the number of such books
in the monastery. Books were still a rarity at that time, and one of the valued
occupations of the monastery was the copying and binding of manuscripts.
Theodosius himself helped in this work.
At first, life in the
Caves Monastery was very austere indeed. The monks lived principally on rye
bread and water with the addition of a few vegetables which they cultivated
themselves; they wove their own cloth and sewed their own garments. When the brethren
murmured about some deficiency, Theodosius exhorted them to place their trust
in the Lord Who knew their needs. And his faith was often miraculously
rewarded.
The reputation of the
monks as 'angels on earth' began attracting pilgrims; princes and peasants ca
me for spiritual counsel and left donations. Grand Prince Izyaslav, who became
very attached to St. Theodosius and frequently came to visit him, was a great
benefactor of the monastery, as also was the Viking Prince Shimon who was
baptized into the Orthodox Church together with his entire household, numbering
some 3,000 members.
With increased mean s,
Theodosius was able to build a guest house for pilgrims where the poor and sick
also found refuge. No beggar was ever turned away from the monastery without
being given a meal. Weekly a cart was sent from the monastery laden with bread
to be distributed among those in prison.
The Saint's compassion
was boundless. Once there were brought to him some robbers who had been
apprehended in the act of stealing monastery property. With tears the Saint
entreated them to mend their ways. Then, having fed them, he let them go. The
robbers were so moved by the Saint's mercy that they repented and became
honest, God-fearing men.
Like St. Anthony,
Theodosius also endured the effects of the princes' quarrels. At the same time
he maintained his independence and did not fear risking the displeasure of his
royal benefactors if he felt called as a spiritual father to admonish them.
When, for example, Svyatoslav unjustly took the throne from Izyaslav, the Saint
wrote a strong letter to Svyatoslav, reproving his action and urging him to
restore power to his older brother. This angered Svyatoslav, and Theodosius was
warned of possible consequences, but he calmly replied: "Nothing could be
better for me in this life than to suffer for the sake of the truth."
Mindful of the Saint' s popularity, Svyatoslav took no action against him and
even went to visit him. He was surprised when Theodosius received him with the
respect due to one of authority. "I was afraid you'd be angry with
me," said the Prince. "Our duty," replied the Saint, "is to
say what is beneficial for the soul's salvation; and you would do well to
listen." Although Svyatoslav could not be persuaded to give up the throne
and Theodosius continued to commemorate the pious Izyaslav as the lawful ruler,
their relationship was peaceful and it was Svyatoslav who gave land for the
building of the new stone church.
Work had just begun on
this church when St. Anthony reposed. Neither did St. Theodosius live to see
its completion. It was his custom to retire to a cave for the course of Great
Lent, and it was during this time, in 1074, that the Lord revealed to him his
imminent departure from this world. On Bright Week, having joyfully celebrated
the radiant feast of Pascha in the monastery, he fell ill. Summoning the
brethren, he informed them that his time had come, and foretold the very day
and hour of his repose. By common consent of the brotherhood, he blessed his
disciple Stefan to take his place as abbot, exhorting him not to change the
tradition s of the monastery, "but follow in all things the law and our
monastic rifle."
May 3,1074. The divinely
appointed hour arrived and the bright soul of the Saint took leave of its
earthly tabernacle. As he had willed, his body was laid to rest in the cave
which alone with the angels had witnessed his ascetic labors.
Eighteen years after the
Saint's blessed repose, the monastery brethren decided to transfer his relics
to the new cathedral church. The abbot, together with monk Nestor the
chronicler, went to the cave to dig up the relics and discovered them to be
incorrupt. Accompanied by a large crowd of people, the relics were solemnly
transferred to the Dormition Cathedral on August 14, 1092. And in 1106 Saint
Theodosius was added to the list of canonized saints.
True to their promise,
the holy founders of the Caves Monastery continued to watch over its existence
even after their repose. There is, for example, the story--written by Bishop
Simon (+1226), a former monk of that monastery and principal author of the Kiev
Caves Patericorn of how the stone church was completed.
Sts. Anthony and
Theodosius had been gone from this world some ten years when a group of Greek
iconographers came to the Caves Lavra demanding to see the two monks who had
hired them to adorn the new church with frescoes. They were rather angry
inasmuch as the church standing before them was considerably larger than they
had been led to believe and would consequently require more work than was
covered by the sum of gold they had received there in Constantinople upon
signing the agreement. Abbot Nikon, confessing his ignorance of the matter,
asked who it was that had hired them. "Their names were Anthony and
Theodosius," "Truly," said the abbot, "I cannot summon
them, for they departed this life ten years ago. But as you yourselves testify,
they continue to care for this monastery even now."
The Greeks, scarcely
believing this possible, called some merchants traveling with them, who had
been present at the signing of the agreement, and asked that they be shown an
image of the deceased. When this was done the Greeks bowed low, for they
recognized in the saints the exact likeness of the two men who had commissioned
them to paint the frescoes and given them the gold. Acknowledging the
supernatural power of the saints, they decided not to cancel the agreement
after all, and set about with heightened inspiration to embellish the church.
The iconographers never returned to Constantinople; they became monks and ended
their days there in the Caves Monastery.
The Dormition Church,
rebuilt in l470, was destroyed in 1941 by an explosion which the Soviets
attribute to the Germans. Witnesses, however, state that it was the communists
themselves who set delayed action explosives just before the German occupation
of the city.
SOURCE : https://web.archive.org/web/20070614104644/http://www.roca.org/OA/78/78g.htm
Venerable Anthony of the
Kiev Far Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia
Commemorated on July 10
Saint Anthony of the Kiev
Caves was born in the year 983 at Liubech, not far from Chernigov, and was
named Antipas in Baptism. Possessing the fear of God from his youth, he desired
to be clothed in the monastic schema. When he reached a mature age, he wandered
until he arrived on Mt. Athos, burning with the desire to emulate the deeds of
its holy inhabitants. Here he received monastic tonsure, and the young monk
pleased God in every aspect of his spiritual struggles on the path of virtue.
He particularly excelled in humility and obedience, so that all the monks
rejoiced to see his holy life.
The igumen saw in Saint
Anthony the great future ascetic, and inspired by God, he sent him back to his
native land, saying, “Anthony, it is time for you to guide others in holiness.
Return to your own Russian land, and be an example for others. May the blessing
of the Holy Mountain be with you.”
Returning to the land of
Rus, Anthony began to make the rounds of the monasteries about Kiev, but
nowhere did he find that strict life which had drawn him to Mt. Athos.
Through the Providence of
God, Anthony came to the hills of Kiev by the banks of the River Dnieper. The
forested area near the village of Berestovo reminded him of his beloved Athos.
There he found a cave which had been dug out by the Priest Hilarion, who later
became Metropolitan of Kiev (October 21). Since he liked the spot, Anthony
prayed with tears, “Lord, let the blessing of Mt. Athos be upon this spot, and
strengthen me to remain here.” He began to struggle in prayer, fasting, vigil
and physical labor. Every other day, or every third day, he would eat only dry
bread and a little water. Sometimes he did not eat for a week. People began to
come to the ascetic for his blessing and counsel, and some decided to remain
with the saint.
Among Anthony’s first
disciples was Saint Nikon (March 23), who tonsured Saint Theodosius of the
Caves (May 3) at the monastery in the year 1032.
The virtuous life of
Saint Anthony illumined the Russian land with the beauty of monasticism. Saint
Anthony lovingly received those who yearned for the monastic life. After
instructing them how to follow Christ, he asked Saint Nikon to tonsure them.
When twelve disciples had gathered about Saint Anthony, the brethren dug a
large cave and built a church and cells for the monks within it.
After he appointed Abbot
Barlaam to guide the brethren, Saint Anthony withdrew from the monastery. He
dug a new cave for himself, then hid himself within it. There too, monks began
to settle around him. Afterwards, the saint built a small wooden church in
honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God over the Far Caves.
At the insistence of
Prince Izyaslav, the igumen Barlaam withdrew to the Dimitriev monastery. With
the blessing of Saint Anthony and with the general agreement of the brethren,
the meek and humble Theodosius was chosen as igumen. By this time, the number
of brethren had already reached a hundred men. The Kiev Great Prince Izyaslav
(+ 1078) gave the monks the hill on which the large church and cells were
built, with a palisade all around. Thus, the renowned monastery over the caves
was established. Describing this, the chronicler remarks that while many
monasteries were built by emperors and nobles, they could not compare with
those which are built with holy prayers and tears, and by fasting and vigil.
Although Saint Anthony had no gold, he built a monastery which became the first
spiritual center of Rus.
For his holiness of life,
God glorified Saint Anthony with the gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking.
One example of this occurred during the construction of the Great Caves church.
The Most Holy Theotokos Herself stood before him and Saint Theodosius in the
Blachernae church in Constantinople, where they had been miraculously
transported without leaving their own monastery. Actually, two angels appeared
in Constantinople in their forms (See May 3, the account of the Kiev Caves Icon
of the Most Holy Theotokos). Having received gold from the Mother of God, the
saints commissioned master architects, who came from Constantinople to the
Russian land on the command of the Queen of Heaven to build the church at the
Monastery of the Caves. During this appearance, the Mother of God foretold the
impending death of Saint Anthony, which occurred on July 10, 1073.
Through Divine
Providence, the relics of Saint Anthony remain hidden.
Saint Anthony of the Kiev
Caves
Saint Anthony of the Kiev
Caves was born in the year 983 at Liubech, not far from Chernigov, and was
named Antipas in Baptism. Possessing the fear of God from his youth, he desired
to be clothed in the monastic schema. When he reached a mature age, he wandered
until he arrived on Mt. Athos, burning with the desire to emulate the deeds of
its holy inhabitants. Here he received monastic tonsure, and the young monk
pleased God in every aspect of his spiritual struggles on the path of virtue.
He particularly excelled in humility and obedience, so that all the monks
rejoiced to see his holy life.
The igumen saw in St
Anthony the great future ascetic, and inspired by God, he sent him back to his
native land, saying, “Anthony, it is time for you to guide others in holiness.
Return to your own Russian land, and be an example for others. May the blessing
of the Holy Mountain be with you.
Returning to the land of
Rus, Anthony began to make the rounds of the monasteries about Kiev, but
nowhere did he find that strict life which had drawn him to Mt. Athos.
Through the Providence of
God, Anthony came to the hills of Kiev by the banks of the River Dniepr. The
forested area near the village of Berestovo reminded him of his beloved Athos.
There he found a cave which had been dug out by the Priest Hilarion, who later
became Metropolitan of Kiev (October 21). Since he liked the spot, Anthony
prayed with tears, “Lord, let the blessing of Mt. Athos be upon this spot, and
strengthen me to remain here.” He began to struggle in prayer, fasting, vigil
and physical labor. Every other day, or every third day, he would eat only dry
bread and a little water. Sometimes he did not eat for a week. People began to
come to the ascetic for his blessing and counsel, and some decided to remain
with the saint.
Among Anthony’s first
disciples was St Nikon (March 23), who tonsured St Theodosius of the Caves (May
3) at the monastery in the year 1032.
The virtuous life of St
Anthony illumined the Russian land with the beauty of monasticism. St Anthony
lovingly received those who yearned for the monastic life. After instructing
them how to follow Christ, he asked St Nikon to tonsure them. When twelve
disciples had gathered about St Anthony, the brethren dug a large cave and
built a church and cells for the monks within it.
After he appointed Abbot
Barlaam to guide the brethren, St Anthony withdrew from the monastery. He dug a
new cave for himself, then hid himself within it. There too, monks began to
settle around him. Afterwards, the saint built a small wooden church in honor
of the Dormition of the Mother of God over the Far Caves.
At the insistence of
Prince Izyaslav, the igumen Barlaam withdrew to the Dimitriev monastery. With
the blessing of St Anthony and with the general agreement of the brethren, the
meek and humble Theodosius was chosen as igumen. By this time, the number of
brethren had already reached a hundred men. The Kiev Great Prince Izyaslav (+
1078) gave the monks the hill on which the large church and cells were built,
with a palisade all around. Thus, the renowned monastery over the caves was
established. Describing this, the chronicler remarks that while many
monasteries were built by emperors and nobles, they could not compare with
those which are built with holy prayers and tears, and by fasting and vigil.
Although St Anthony had no gold, he built a monastery which became the first
spiritual center of Rus.
For his holiness of life,
God glorified St Anthony with the gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking. One
example of this occurred during the construction of the Great Caves church. The
Most Holy Theotokos Herself stood before him and St Theodosius in the
Blachernae church in Constantinople, where they had been miraculously
transported without leaving their own monastery. Actually, two angels appeared
in Constantinople in their forms (See May 3, the account of the Kiev Caves Icon
of the Most Holy Theotokos). Having received gold from the Mother of God, the
saints commissioned master architects, who came from Constantinople to the
Russian land on the command of the Queen of Heaven to build the church at the
Monastery of the Caves. During this appearance, the Mother of God foretold the
impending death of St Anthony, which occurred on July 10, 1073.
Through Divine
Providence, the relics of St Anthony remain hidden.
SOURCE : https://www.stmarymagdalenechurch.org/news_140708_2
Anthony of Kiev
Russian monk
Also known as: Anthony of Pechersk
Written and fact-checked
by
The Editors of
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Also called:
Anthony of Pechersk
Died: 1073, Kiev
Founder: Russia
Anthony of Kiev (born,
Ukraine—died 1073, Kiev) was the founder of Russian monasticism through
the introduction of the Greek Orthodox ideal of the contemplative life.
Seeking a solitary life,
Anthony became a monk about
1028 at the Greek Orthodox monastery of Esphigmenon on Mount Athos, in Greece.
According to an account contained in the 12th-century The
Russian Primary Chronicle (Povest vremennykh let), Anthony was counseled by
his abbot to
carry the Athonite monastic tradition to Russia. He consequently
returned to his Ukrainian homeland, where he settled in a cave on the side of
Mount Berestov, overlooking the Dnieper River. His
fame as a holy hermit and
wonder worker spread throughout the region, and by the mid-11th century the
number of his disciples warranted
a larger cave on the same site to house them. When the community of
hermits had grown to 15, requiring the construction of a church and refectory,
Anthony resigned as spiritual leader and retired to another grotto. Soon the
prince of Kiev, Izyaslav,
ceded Mount Beretsov to the monks, and Anthony laid the foundation for the
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the
Caves), an institution that later acquired a reputation as the cradle of
Russian monasticism. Reverting to his Athonite training, he sent to
Constantinople (modern Istanbul) for architects to construct the new monastery
complex at the mountain.
By such a foundation
Anthony established the basis for the Russian assimilation of the three
elements of Byzantine monasticism:
the writings of the early Egyptian and Palestinian monks, the eremitical
practices of Mount Athos, and the communal spirituality in the rule of
Constantinople’s Stoudion monastery. As described by The Russian Primary
Chronicle, he favoured the solitary life, marked by superhuman efforts to
suppress human passions in a demon-haunted world. Reflecting the Byzantine ascetic tradition,
Anthony expressed the basic tension, never fully resolved, between the
contemplative’s search for God through asceticism and the
social responsibilities of the hermit. He realized the moral and
psychological pitfalls of solitude and consequently provided hermitages near
the monastery. Anthony’s institution exerted a wide influence on the Russian
Orthodox church and later evolved into the cenobitic (community life)
ideal out of which some 50 monks became bishops by the year 1250.
The latter part of
Anthony’s life was marked by a strained relationship with Izyaslav, who
suspected him of conspiring with a rival lord during the stormy years following
the death, in 1054, of the forceful grand prince of
Kiev, Yaroslav
I the Wise.
This article was most
recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia
Britannica.
SOURCE : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anthony-of-Kiev
Św.
Antoni Pieczerski. Lubecz, G.Jerszow
Антоний
Печерский.Антониевы Пещеры. Любеч.Скульптор Г. Ершов.
Anthony
of Kiev. Sculpture in Lyubech by Gennadij Jerszow
Антоній
Печерський, Любеч. Скульптор Геннадій Єршов.
Sant' Antonio
Pecierskij Eremita
Lubec (presso Cernigov,
Ucraina), 983 - Kiev (Ucraina), 10 luglio 1073
Antonio è il suo secondo
nome, quello assunto da monaco: prima si chiamava Antipa. Pecierskij è invece
una sorta di soprannome. Vuol dire “delle grotte” e si riferisce sia a quella
scavata da lui come “cella” nella valle del Dnjepr presso Kiev, sia alle molte
altre che per impulso suo scavarono via via altri uomini di preghiera, attirati
in quei luoghi dalla sua fama di santità. E felici di imparare da quest’uomo
che "non si mostrava mai ingiusto né arrabbiato... ed era sempre
compassionevole e silenzioso, pieno di misericordia con tutti". Perfino
con i briganti: offriva benevolenza e cibo anche a loro.
Etimologia: Antonio
= nato prima, o che fa fronte ai suoi avversari, dal greco
Martirologio
Romano: A Kiev nell’odierna Ucraina, sant’Antonio, eremita, che proseguì
nel monastero delle Grotte la vita monastica che aveva appreso sul monte Athos.
Antonio, l'iniziatore del monachismo russo, nacque nel 983 a Lubec nei pressi di Tchernigov e giovanissimo si sentì attratto dalla vita eremitica che cominciò a praticare in patria. Recatosi in pellegrinaggio al Monte Athos, rimase colpito dalla vita di quei monaci ed entrò, verso il 1028, nel monastero di Esphigmenon mutando il nome secolare, Antipa, in Antonio dopo alcuni anni, seguendo il consiglio del suo superiore, Teotisto, Antonio tornò in patria per suscitare un fermento monastico nel suo popolo, e si stabilì in una grotta che scavò da sé sul monte Berestov, sulle rive del Dnjepr, presso Kiev. Secondo alcuni agiografi, Antonio, turbato dalla guerra, fece ritorno al Monte Athos e vi rimase per qualche tempo, ma poi riprese la via di Kiev e della sua grotta. Scoperta dal popolo, la cella di Antonio divenne meta di numerosi pellegrini che si recavano a chiedere consiglio e aiuto all'eremita. Alcuni giovani chiesero e ottennero il permesso di rimanere con A., e tra essi i primi furono Nicon, già sacerdote, Teodoro e Barlaam. Ben presto, però, Antonio, desideroso di maggior solitudine, designò Barlaam come egumeno e si ritirò in luogo più appartato. Il principe Isiaslav cedette il Berestov ai monaci, e questi iniziarono la costruzione della "Laura delle grotte" (Pecerskaja Lavra), chiamando numerosi artisti da Costantinopoli per decorare la chiesa. Secondo la Cronaca di Nestore, Antonio, a differenza degli altri abati del suo tempo, racco mandava di accogliere tutti, ricchi e poveri, così che il suo monastero poteva dirsi edificato dalle preghiere piuttosto che dalle ricchezze dei principi e dei nobili. Antonio verso il 1055, sospettato da Isiaslav di parteggiare per il suo rivale Vseslav, fu costretto a rifugiarsi nel principato di Tchernigov, dove fondò un altro monastero. Molto probabilmente tornò a Kiev e morì nella sua cella il 10 lugl. 1073. La Chiesa russa celebra Antonio il 10 luglio e così la Chiesa Cattolica di rito slavo, perché Antonio visse prima che la Chiesa russa aderisse de iure allo scisma di Cerulario. La "Laura delle grotte" fu devastata dai Tartari in due riprese, nel 1299 e nel 1316, e in ogni tempo rivendicò la sua autorità su tutti gli altri monasteri russi. Il successore di Barlaam, s. Teodosio, fondò un ospizio per pellegrini, che nel sec. XIX poteva ospitare fino a ventimila persone conternporaneamente. Nel 1651 nella laura fu impiantata una tipografia. Nello stesso secolo i monaci indossavano un abito simile a quello dei Benedettini e seguivano anche molte usanze particolari mediate dall'Occidente. Nel 1945 ha avuto inizio l'opera di ricostruzione della laura gravemente danneggiata dalla seconda guerra mondiale.
Autore: Ivan Sofranov
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/61700
Voir aussi : https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=2347
https://www.stvolodymyr.ca/parish-news-updates/st-anthony-of-the-kiyvan-caves
