Life of Saint John of Novgorod
In the family of pious Christians Nicholas and Christina, two sons grew up: Gabriel and the future Archbishop John. Devout parents raised their sons in love for the Lord, teaching them to live a pious, virtuous life.
John's family was wealthy. When the boy's parents died, he and his brother were left with a small inheritance. Both brothers unanimously decided to spend it on the construction of a monastery in the name of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God. But there was only enough money to erect part of the building; the brothers could not complete the construction of the temple. With nowhere to wait for help, the brothers decided to turn to the Mother of God for help.
John and Gabriel tirelessly prayed to the Mother of God, and one day she appeared to them in a dream, promising to help. The next day, an amazing horse appeared before the eyes of the brothers, loaded with bags of gold. Seeing that the horse’s owners were absent, the brothers realized that these funds had been sent to them by the Mother of God.
Having completed the construction, the brothers took monastic vows in the monastery they built. John was named Elijah, and Gabriel was named Gregory.
In 1165, Elijah was called from the monastery and elevated to the rank of archbishop. John did not agree for a long time, but the princes and ordinary citizens begged him to agree.
Those times were quite difficult for Novgorod. The winter of 1170 turned out to be especially difficult, when the Suzdal prince Roman, together with his allies, decided to capture the city. When the city was besieged by enemies, the Novgorodians could only rely on the Lord God.
St. John prayed day and night, asking the Almighty for deliverance from his enemies. During prayer, the saint heard the voice of God, commanding him to take the icon of the Mother of God and install it on the city wall. The Novgorodians sent for the icon were unable to lift the holy image.
After the archbishop’s prayer singing in front of the shrine, the icon itself moved from its place. Then Saint John, taking the icon, installed it on the city wall. All Novgorodians saw how the Mother of God turned her face away from the enemy troops, giving a sign to the besieged people. And then the enemy was seized with fear, they began to fight each other. The Novgorodians took advantage of the enemy's confusion and won.
During his archbishopric, Saint John built many churches dedicated to:
- The Lord's Epiphany;
- the holy prophet Elijah;
- St. Theodore, abbot of Studium;
- three holy youths: Ananias, Azariah, Misail and the holy prophet Daniel;
- the holy righteous Lazarus;
- Saint the Wonderworker Nicholas.
Saint John became famous for his pious, virtuous life, good deeds, meekness and love for people. For this, the Lord rewarded the archbishop with power over demons. Once the saint even managed to saddle a demon, forcing him to transfer himself to Jerusalem. So the archbishop was able to get from Novgorod to the holy land to the Holy Sepulcher in one night and return back. After this, the Devil began to plot against John, trying to shame the saint. But all his attempts, thanks to the intercession of the Lord, ended in failure.
Before his death, sensing his approaching death, the holy archbishop renounced his episcopal omophorion, accepting the schema and returning to himself the name given to him at birth - John.
On September 7, 1186, the Novgorod saint died peacefully. After the death of the saint, the archpastoral throne was given to his brother Gregory.
Life of John of Novgorod
Ranchin A.M.
The original edition of the Life, known in two versions, was compiled, apparently, no later than the 40-50s. XIV century in Novgorod the Great. This is a short story about the holy life of Archbishop John of Novgorod. The text of this edition tells about the birth of the saint from pious parents, about the time when John was a priest in the Novgorod church of St. Blaise; it tells about the election of John to the Novgorod bishops, about the founding of the Annunciation Monastery by him and his brother Gabriel, and about the erection of the Annunciation Church. The Life provides a list of churches built by John and reports the burial of the archbishop in the vestibule of the Cathedral of St. Sophia.
The oldest list of the second edition of the Life, called the Basic, dates back to 1494. This edition of the Life was compiled after 1439 or 1440, when the incorruptible remains (relics) of John were discovered. (The discovery of the relics is described in the text of the Main Edition.) In the text of the Main Edition of the Life, a pro-Moscow orientation is traced: the idea of submission to the power of the prince is instilled, John inspires the Novgorodians that an alliance with wicked and non-Orthodox princes is sinful. These motives were topical in the period between 1471 and 1478. In 1470, the Novgorodians, opponents of subordination to Moscow, mainly influential and wealthy boyars, called the Lithuanian prince Mikhail Alexandrovich (Olelkovich), a descendant of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas, to reign. By religion, Prince Mikhail was Orthodox; he was related to Ivan III, who was his cousin. But he was a protégé and vassal of the Catholic, Polish King Casimir IV, and therefore pro-Moscow-minded contemporaries saw in the calling of Mikhail Olelkovich a betrayal of antiquity and Orthodoxy. Mikhail did not reign in Novgorod for long. In July 1471, the Novgorodians, who did not want to submit to the power of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III Vasilyevich, were defeated by Moscow troops on the Sheloni River. After this, the struggle between the “pro-Moscow” and “anti-Moscow” parties intensified in Novgorod. In 1478, after a new campaign by Ivan III, Novgorod was included in the Grand Duchy of Moscow, almost completely losing the remnants of its former freedom.
The main edition of the Life of John of Novgorod was probably created precisely between 1471 and 1478, when the freedom of Veliky Novgorod was already declining, but the triumph of the Grand Duke of Moscow was not yet unconditional (Dmitriev L.A. Life of John of Novgorod // Dictionary scribes and bookishness of Ancient Rus'. L., 1989. Issue 2 (second half of the XIV-XVI centuries). Part 2. pp. 516-517).
In one late, 17th-century list of the Main Edition, its compiler is named as the famous scribe of Serbian origin Pachomius Logofet, or Pachomius the Serb (d. 1458), in the 1430s. who came to Rus' and wrote several lives of Russian saints and services to them. However, the evidence of one late list cannot be conclusive. Modern researcher of the Life of L.A. Dmitriev states: “There is reason to assume that Life was written not by a Novgorodian, but by a Muscovite unknown to us, based on Novgorodian materials, in Novgorod.”
Later editions of the Life (of which four are known) go back to the text of the Main Edition.
The text of the Main Edition of the Life consists of three relatively independent parts. The second and third parts have independent subtitles: “Word 2. About the same great Saint John, Archbishop of Great Novagrad, who was in one night from Novagrad in the city of Jerusalem and returned to Veliky Novgrad the same night" and "word 3. On the manifestation of the relics of a saint." The most obvious is the relative independence of the second part of the Life, which describes the miraculous journey of the saint to Jerusalem riding on a demon. This part of the monument also tells about the death and burial of John, mentions a miracle from the Novgorod shrine - the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, and talks about healings performed at the relics of the saint. (The text of the third part of the Life tells in detail about the discovery of John’s relics and the miracles performed near them.)
The main edition of the Life is both a solid text and a kind of cycle of three parts. It is no coincidence that separate lists of the Main Edition contain either only the text of the first part, which tells about the miracle from the Icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, or the texts of the first and second parts together, or less often - the text of one third part. In several copies, the Life is adjacent to the Tale of the Construction of the Annunciation Church. It describes the wonderful story of the construction of the Annunciation Church by John and his brother Gregory. The brothers “didn’t have enough money to build” the temple, so they could only build it to shoulder height. After the fervent prayer of John and Gregory addressed to the Mother of God, the Most Pure One appeared to them in a dream and promised to help. In front of the monastery gates, the brothers found a horse “Velmi Divna”, under a gold-bound saddle, to which were attached two bags - one full of gold, the other of silver. The acquired money was more than enough to complete the construction of the temple.
The blurring of boundaries between individual works is generally characteristic of Old Russian literature: in Old Russian literature, obviously, there was no clear idea of the unity and completeness of the work. The ultimate goal of the scribes was the expression, the revelation of divine truth, the presence of God in the world, and with such an understanding of the nature and purpose of the text, the boundaries between individual works were deprived of their absolute character.
The text of the Main Edition opens with an introduction in which, as is traditional for hagiography, the saint is glorified and the motives that prompted the compiler to turn to writing the Life are set out. Then follows a story about the life of John, borrowed from the Original Edition and supplemented with new news. The central episode of the first part of the Life is the miracle from the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God. The text of this fragment goes back to “Remembrance of the sign that was the icon of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos in the great Novegrad” - a legend about the miracle from the icon of the Sign of the Theotokos, compiled in Novgorod in the 1430s. Pachomius the Serb. (The work of Pachomius, in turn, was written on the basis of the Word of the Sign, which arose in the middle of the 14th century.)
The story of the miracle from the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God is a reflection of a real event. In February 1170, the Suzdal-Vladimir troops, led by Mstislav, the son of the Vladimir-Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, besieged Novgorod. After a three-day siege of the city, the Novgorodians and Suzdalians fought in a battle that ended in the defeat of the Suzdal army. This happened at a time when John was Archbishop of Novgorod. This legend tells how John, who was praying for the salvation of the city, hears a voice calling to go to the Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street and, taking the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God kept there, take it to the walls of the fort, protecting the city from the besiegers. When the Suzdal residents rained arrows on the city, the icon miraculously turned towards the city and shed tears, which the archbishop collected in his phelonion (chasuble).
Through the tearful prayers of the Mother of God, the legend says, anger fell on the Suzdal regiments: they were covered in darkness, the Suzdal residents became blind and in trepidation and horror began to beat each other.
In the Life of John of Novgorod, in comparison with earlier tales of the miracle from the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, pro-Novgorod sympathies are no longer discernible. The miracle is interpreted in a timeless sense: only as a condemnation of the enmity of the Russians of the same faith, as a condemnation of the pride of the besiegers, and as mercy shown to those who trust in the help of the Mother of God.
The second part of the Life describes the story of John shaming the demon and traveling on it to Jerusalem. The plot of this legend is one of the so-called novelistic plots. It is built on an unexpected turning point in events that is characteristic of short stories, on a “reversal”, on the mutual reversibility of the plot functions of the “characters”. The demon, bothering John, climbed into the vessel with water from which the saint washed himself. John, “hearing in the vessel some murmuring (splashing - A.R.) in the water, and soon the saint came, and in his mind a demonic dream (obsession - A.R.).”
John, having made a prayer and made the sign of the cross over the vessel, shut the demon in it. The unclean spirit cried out to the saint, complaining that “we are burning with fire.”
This episode is intended to evoke fear: the machinations of demons are terrible, and few who read the Life believe that he has been granted the grace to defeat demons. But at the same time, reading the text of the Life gives rise to a smile: the nosy demon, who was trying to bother another, himself found himself in an unpleasant situation, to which he doomed himself, “locking himself up” in a vessel and becoming especially vulnerable to John. The contradictory, almost situation in which the unclean spirit found itself is funny: the vessel, which was supposed to become a weapon of attack on John, turned into a prison for his enemy; immersed in water, the demon experiences, however, torment, as if from fire. The unclean spirit, supposedly powerful and almost irresistible, finding itself imprisoned in a small vessel, appears in all its insignificance.
The motif of the imprisonment, the “captivity” of a demon by the saint, who is forced to fulfill the demands of the ascetic, is found in translated Greek literature; it is also known in the medieval literature of the Latin West. The Byzantine “Tale of the Imprisoned Demon” tells of the “captivity” of the demon by the monk Longinus. This legend is part of the translated Sinai Patericon. The short translated life of the martyr Konon of Isauria tells how the saint imprisoned demons in sealed vessels, “and buried them under the foundations of his house. And after death <...> a meager supply was found (clay - A.R.). Having thought about the gold, having crushed it alone, the demon departed in a vision of fire, and everyone was afraid that the power would not leave the house after the sun set, until (yet. - A.R.) I prayed to Saint Konon, and the demon again disappeared.”
There is a similar episode in the legend about Saint Lupus: “When devils cheat with saints, they continually get caught in their own snares. St. Lupe stands in prayer. The demon made him very thirsty. St. Lupe orders a jug of fresh water to be served. The devil immediately climbed into the jug in the hope that together with the water he could penetrate the body of the saint. But St. Lup, instead of drinking, calmly put a pillow from the bed on the jug and, having baptized him, kept the impudent demon a prisoner until the next morning "(Amphiteatrov A.V. Devil // Amphiteatrov A.V. Devil. Orlov M.N. History of relations man with the devil. M., 1992. P. 278).
A comic version of the “imprisonment” of a demon by a monk making the sign of the cross is contained in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "The Brothers Karamazov". The monk Ferapont says: “he’s hiding from me behind the door, but he’s such a seasoned man, he’s an arshin and a half or more in height, and his tail is thick, brown, long, and the end of his tail gets into the door crack, and don’t be stupid, the door suddenly he slammed it and pinched his tail. As soon as he screamed, he began to fight, and I made the sign of the cross, three times, and baptized him. Here he died like a crushed spider. Now it must be rotten in the corner, it stinks, but they don’t see it, they don’t smell it” (Dostoevsky F.M. Complete collected works and letters: In 30 vol. L., 1976. T. 14. P. 153- 154).
Saint John releases the demon on the terms of an agreement: the evil one is obliged to transport the archbishop to Jerusalem and back, which the demon does, turning into a huge black horse. The tale contains a traditional plot motif of helping the hero who owes his life to a wonderful creature. This motif is characteristic, in particular, of fairy tales. But in the Life he is transformed: the demon is an unwilling helper, but essentially an enemy of John. The plot motif of the journey, the pilgrimage to Jerusalem - the Holy City - on a demon, is semantically paradoxical.
The motif of the saint's journey on a demon is also known to Western European medieval literature: the Latin Life of the Bishop of Besançon, the martyr Antidius tells about his journey on a demon from Besançon to Rome and back.
The demon fulfills the terms of the agreement with John and, in turn, sets his own condition for him: John is obliged not to tell anyone about the shameful event for this unclean spirit. John could not resist and one day, during a soul-saving conversation “with honest abbots, and with the most skillful priests (priests - A.R.), and with God-fearing men,” he spoke about this event, testifying to the grace given to man by God to shame demons. At the same time, John humbly kept silent about the fact that this story happened to him.
“And from that time, by God’s permission, the demon began to bring temptation upon the saint.” The demon, who perceived John's story as a violation of the condition announced to the saint, began to pester John, taking the form of a woman leaving the archbishop's cell. “For the people of that city have often seen a harlot running from the holy cell: the devil was transformed into a woman.” The Novgorodians, convinced that their archbishop is guilty of the sin of fornication, expel John from the city, putting the saint on a raft. By the will of God, the raft goes against the current up the Volkhov River; Convinced by this miracle of John's righteousness, the Novgorodians repented and returned the archbishop to themselves.
In the Life, the traditional motive of violating the terms between two characters - parties to the agreement is rethought. John is not punished for “violating” this condition: demonic temptations ultimately lead only to the triumph of the archbishop, all the devil’s machinations are carried out with God’s permission. When a miracle happened, and “the float floated up the river, we were flogged by no one (not pushed. - A.R.),” and the saint prayed to God that his sins would not be collected, “but the devil saw it, was disgraced and wept.”
John's two movements in space - a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and swimming on a raft against the current - are outwardly opposite in meaning: the first is a manifestation of the triumph of the saint over evil spirits; the second is a consequence of slander, the demon’s revenge on John, the humiliation of the saint. This is not a voluntary journey, but an exile. But it is the expulsion of the archbishop that turns into the final victory over the demon. At a deep level, the two “journeys” turn out to be similar; they are repetitions of the same situation - victory over the devil.
The movement of the raft with Saint John up the Volkhov, accompanied by crowds of weeping people begging the shepherd for his return, is unfolded in the text of the Life into a kind of solemn ceremony. The saint prays, people tear their clothes out of grief and regret for the sin committed and beg John to return, while the devil weeps, regretting his failure.
The superreal, primarily the demonic, in the Life is endowed with visible and almost physically tangible signs: the demon splashes loudly in the vessel, he “came out like a maiden lying down, and a woman’s sandals, and rags.”
The human bodily principle is also emphasized in the hagiography. When John is transported to the shore from the raft by divine power, the Novgorodians, who had hitherto decorously accompanied the raft, rush to the saint in joy, crowding each other, eager to touch him and his clothes. The compiler of the Life is very attentive to movements and gestures: “A lot of them fell on the nose, pouring tears on his nose; The friends of the robes celebrated (touched the robes of the saint. - A.R.) the saint. I. Simply say, we oppress each other, although we don’t want to see the saint.”
The “materialization” of the spiritual and the focus on depicting the corporeal, tangible, and visible are inherent in many monuments of ancient Novgorod literature, which obviously influenced the Life.
The final part of the Life tells how a large stone that fell from under the arches of the St. Sophia Cathedral broke the tombstone over a certain unmarked grave. Archbishop Euthymius II, having examined the remains buried under the slab, ordered the tomb to be closed and began to pray to God to reveal who would rest in this grave. During the night prayer, the buried man appears to Euthymius and calls himself Archbishop John. He announces to the archbishop God's command to establish church veneration of the princes, bishops and other Christians buried in the cathedral. The following tells about the healings that took place at the tomb of John. Following this, the hagiographer talks about the circumstances that prompted him to compile the life of the Novgorod archbishop. For his lack of faith in the holiness of John, he was punished with illness, by which he was healed through prayer to the saint and after repentance.
The Life ends with a lengthy, solemn praise of John.
In ancient Russian literature and in the literature of modern times, the legend of John’s journey on a demon to Jerusalem was especially famous. In the Old Russian Life of Abraham of Rostov from the Life of John of Novgorod, the motif of sequestering a demon in a vessel and slandering a saint by an evil spirit was apparently borrowed. In the Tale of Vasily, Bishop of Murom (mid-16th century), written by the scribe Ermolai-Erasmus, the motive of demonic obsession, which causes accusations of the saint of fornication, and the miraculous journey of the saint upstream (Vasily floats along the Oka River on his own bishop's mantle) goes back to the Life. .
In modern times, the young A.S. turned to the plot of traveling on a demon. Pushkin (lyceum poem “The Monk”) and N.V. Gogol (the story “The Night Before Christmas” from the cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”).
The story of John's journey on a demon to Jerusalem, perhaps dating back to some ancient Novgorod legends, in turn influenced oral folk literature: a popular legend is known, a short oral story about the journey on a demon of a certain archimandrite (abbot of the monastery) to Jerusalem.
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Meaning and veneration in Orthodoxy
Immediately after burial, the relics of John became famous for the healing of many who fell at the saint’s shrine. But over time, the saint’s grave turned out to be abandoned and forgotten about for a long time. There is not even any information left about who is buried at this place.
In 1439, it was necessary to repair the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. During construction work, a large stone fell from the porch and fell on the lid of the tomb, breaking it. The coffin contained incorruptible, fragrant remains. But no one knew who they belonged to, since there was no inscription on the tombstone.
The archbishop of the church, Evfimy Vyazhishchsky, fervently prayed to the Almighty all day, asking him to reveal the name of the Holy Saint. At night, a man appeared to him in holy vestments, who called himself Archbishop John.
St. John ordered this day (October 4) to be made a day of veneration of the archbishops and princes lying in the Novgorod land. Since then, October 4 is the day of remembrance of the Novgorod saints.
After the discovery of the holy relics, the celebration of the saint began as a locally revered saint. In 1547, the Moscow Council established the church-wide glorification of the archbishop on September 20 according to the new style (September 7 according to the Julian calendar).
After the revolution, on April 3, 1919, the tomb was opened by representatives of the People's Commissariat. In 1929, St. Sophia Cathedral was turned into an anti-religious museum. But, apparently, the remains of the saint were kept somewhere inside the Cathedral. On August 15, 1991, after the return of the church building, the relics were returned to their original place, installing a shrine in the northwestern part of the Cathedral.
In addition, particles of the archimandrite’s relics are stored together with the remains of the Novgorod saints in the Moscow monastery of the Don Icon of the Mother of God.
Holy relics of St. John the Archbishop Novgorodsky
The holy relics of St. John, Archbishop of Novgorod are available for veneration in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod.
HOLY JOHN OF NOVGORODSKY.
Saint John Saint John, Archbishop of Novgorod, was born in Novgorod from pious parents Nicholas and Christina. His childhood passed in a serene, calm atmosphere.
After the death of their parents, John and his brother Gabriel, having received a small inheritance, decided to create a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in their native places. At first they built a wooden church, and a little later a stone temple was created. Their good intentions were realized not without difficulties. Without finishing the construction of the stone temple, the brothers completely spent their funds. Only a strong living faith encouraged them to continue the work they had begun. With her, they turned for help to the Queen of Heaven, for whose sake they began this godly work. Through their persistent prayer, She showed them Her mercy - she predicted in a dream that she would provide everything necessary to complete the construction. The next morning the brothers saw a beautiful horse loaded with two bags of gold. No one approached him, and when the brothers took off the bags, the horse immediately disappeared. So the Mother of God sent funds for the monastery. After the construction of the monastery was completed, here, under the protection of the Mother of God, the brothers took monastic vows. Saint John was named Elijah, and Saint Gabriel was named Gregory. Chronicles speak of the episcopal installation of St. John in 1162. His first archpastoral letter was addressed to the clergy and clergy of his diocese. It is imbued with loving care for the flock, written in the spirit of fatherly instruction: “It was pleasing to God and the Most Holy Theotokos, through your prayers, that I, being thin, would not renounce this high rank, which I am unworthy of. Since you yourself prompted me to this service, now listen to me...” The saint spoke about the calling of a shepherd - to take care of his sheep, not only to expose, but also to heal those who lead a sinful life. “At the beginning of my words, I ask you, do not get too attached to this world, but constantly teach people. First of all, see that they do not indulge in heavy drinking. After all, you yourself know that most of all it is not only ordinary people who die through this, but even us. When your spiritual children come to you for repentance, ask them with meekness. Do not impose heavy penances on those who repent. Do not neglect book reading, for if we do not do this, then how will we differ from ordinary unlearned people?.. Do not impose penance on orphans... Let everyone repent, because the yoke of Christ should be easy...” In 1165, Saint John was elevated to archbishop (since then the Novgorod see became an archbishop's). The winter of 1170 was a very difficult time for Novgorod. Suzdal troops and their allies besieged the city for two days because the Novgorodians did not accept Prince Svyatoslav, and also collected tribute from the Dvina region, which was not under their control. In sadness, Novgorodians prayed to God and the Most Pure Mother of God for the salvation of the city. On the third night, Saint John, when he was praying before the image of the Savior, heard a voice commanding him to go to the Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street, take the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and place it on the prison. The next morning the Saint told the cathedral about the command and sent the archdeacon with the clergy of the St. Sophia Church for the icon. Entering the church, the archdeacon bowed before the icon and wanted to take it, but the icon did not move. The archdeacon returned to the archbishop and told about what had happened. Then the saint with the whole cathedral came to the church and began to pray on his knees before the icon. They began to sing a prayer canon, and by the 6th song during the kontakion “Christian Intercessor” the icon itself moved from its place. The people cried out with tears: “Lord, have mercy!” Then Saint John took the icon and, together with two deacons, carried it to the prison. The Novgorodians foresaw their death in fear, because the Suzdal residents and their allies had already divided their streets for robbery. At six o'clock in the evening the attack began, arrows rained down. One of the arrows hit the image. Then, by God's Providence, the icon turned its face to the city, and tears flowed from the eyes of the Most Holy Theotokos, which the saint collected in a phelonion. Darkness, like ashes, covered the Suzdal people, they began to go blind and retreated in horror. It was February 25, 1170. Saint John established a solemn holiday for Novgorod in honor of this - the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos (celebration on December 10). The Suzdal War caused great damage to the Novgorod region. The archpastor did not stand aside here either. He showed fatherly concern for ruined families suffering from hunger, and generously gave help to unfortunate orphans. Like other Russian saints, through prayer and good deeds he humbled and calmed civil strife in long-suffering Rus'. So, in 1172, the archpastor himself went to Vladimir to reconcile the blessed prince Andrei Bogolyubsky with the Novgorodians. The saint not only empathized with the misfortunes of his people, but most of all cared about their spiritual enlightenment. Saint John paid great attention to spiritual conversations, which often took place among the clergy and laity. Up to 30 of his teachings have been preserved: on Baptism, Confession, and the Holy Eucharist. The instructions to the monks were filled with spiritual greatness: “Once they have followed Christ, monks, workers of the spiritual life on the cross, must live in secluded places, far from worldly people. Let them not rob themselves of anything, nor of everything dedicated to God. A monk must always be a monk, at every time and in every place - both in sleep and in wakefulness - to preserve the memory of death, and to be incorporeal in the flesh. Not for everyone the monastery serves as a cure for voluptuousness, just as silence does not serve as a cure for anger, death does not serve as a cure for greed for money, the coffin does not serve as a cure for greed... Monastic and worldly life are incompatible, just as a camel and a horse are not harnessed together. The monk bowed his neck under the yoke of the Creator and must carry the plow in the valley of humility in order to multiply the beautiful wheat with the warmth of the Life-Giving Spirit and sow with drops of the mind of God. Chernets does not control himself; being gods, beware lest you decay like people, and fall from heights like a luminous prince... from human glory is born arrogance...” The saint’s spiritual powers of grace were extraordinary. For his spiritual simplicity and purity of heart, the Lord gave him power over demons. One day, when the saint was praying at night according to custom, he heard someone splashing water in the washbasin. Seeing that there was no one nearby, the saint realized that it was a demon trying to scare him. The saint fenced the washbasin with a cross and forbade the demon. Soon the evil spirit could not stand the prayer of the Saint, which scorched him with fire, and began to ask to be released from the laver. The saint agreed, but set the condition that the demon carry him in one night from Novgorod to Jerusalem to the Holy Sepulcher and back. The demon fulfilled the saint's command, but asked him not to tell anyone about his shame. In one of the conversations, the saint told the congregation that he knew a man who visited the Holy Land overnight. The vengeance of the evil one was not slow to take its toll. He began to throw women's things into the saint's cell. One day, when a large crowd of townspeople, excited by envious and unfriendly people, gathered at the saint’s cell, the demon showed them as if a woman had run out from him. The saint came out to the noise and meekly asked: “What happened, my children, what are you making noise about?” The irritated crowd, shouting various accusations about the vicious life of the saint, dragged him to the Volkhov River. They put the saint on a raft and floated him down the river, hoping to get rid of him. But the raft, contrary to expectation, floated against the current straight to the Yuryev Monastery, located three miles from Novgorod. Seeing this, the people repented and, crying and screaming, rushed along the shore after the raft, begging the saint to forgive them and return to the city. The heart of the simple-minded archpastor was filled with gracious joy, not so much for himself as for his flock. “Lord, do not count this a sin on them!” - he prayed and granted forgiveness to everyone. This event occurred shortly before the death of the saint. Anticipating it, he put aside the holy omophorion and accepted the schema with the name John, which he bore in his youth. He appointed his brother, Saint Gregory (May 24), as his successor. The saint died on September 7, 1186 and was laid in the vestibule of the St. Sophia Cathedral. In 1439, through the zeal of Saint Euthymius, repairs were carried out in the St. Sophia Cathedral; In the vestibule of the chapel of the Church of St. John the Baptist, a stone suddenly came off and hit the roof of the tomb standing there hard. Saint Euthymius ordered the stone-pierced board to be lifted, and the temple was filled with fragrance. They saw the incorruptible relics of the saint in the coffin, but no one could say who this archpastor was. In his cell, Saint Euthymius began to fervently pray to God to reveal to him the name of the saint. At night, a husband appeared before him, dressed in holy robes, and said that he was Archbishop John, honored to serve the miracle of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her honorable sign. “I proclaim to you the will of God,” the saint continued, “to commemorate the archbishops and princes lying here on October 4th, but I will pray to Christ for all Christians.”
The relics of St. John rest in the St. Sophia Cathedral, under the arch next to the chapel of the Beheading.
The memory of the saint is celebrated on September 20 (7).
What is asked of St. John of Novgorod
During his lifetime, Archbishop John helped all those who suffered. The Novgorod saint, like many other saints, is asked for help in solving everyday problems.
The saint helps:
- to be healed from illnesses;
- strengthen in faith;
- avoid sinful temptation;
- gain strength to overcome all adversities.
But most often people turn to the saint with a request to expel demons from a home or from people. Sincere prayer coming from the bottom of the heart will definitely be heard by the saint and the Lord God.
Orthodox texts in Russian
Several prayer texts are dedicated to the memory of St. John. During the service in honor of the saint, two troparions are performed: one is small in volume, the second is quite long. After the troparions, a canon is performed - a sacred chant that fills the heart with joy in the Lord. An equally important prayer is the kontakion, glorifying the deeds of John of Novgorod.
Troparion
Lord our God, Who always works with us according to Thy Seeing, do not leave Thy Mercy from us, but through the prayers of Thy Saint John, order our life in peace.
Troparion
Today the most glorious Great New City shines brightly, having your relics within itself, Saint John, like emitting the rays of the sun. And you grant healing to those who flow with faith to the race of your relics. Pray to Christ God to deliver this city unharmed from barbaric captivity and internecine warfare, and fiery incineration, Saint John the God-Wise, Wonder-Bearer, Heavenly man, earthly angel. Thus, having come together in love in your memory, we brightly celebrate, in songs and singing, rejoicing and glorifying Christ, who bestowed such grace on you, with healing and the intercession and establishment of the Great New City.
Kontakion
The venerable Church of Christ rejoiced, in memory today of the ever-famous Saint John, who shone from the Great New City, and astonished all creation with glorious miracles, and adorned with all virtues. Even after his repose, his venerable body was found incorruptible, emanating great miracles. Saint John, pray to Christ God for all of us.
Canon
Song 1
Irmos: Having passed through the water like dry land, and having escaped the Egyptian evil, the Israelite cried out: Feast upon the Savior and our God.
God-born, for you were truly merciful and meek, Father, and truly quiet in spirit, and at the right hand of the Throne of God you were counted worthy to stand, blessed; and now, in Heaven, grant silence to my heart.
From your youth, Saint John, you fixed your mind on God and withered bodily passions with green abstinence, adorned yourself with all sorts of virtues, wisely.
Whenever you received the priestly rank, and listened to the Lord's justification with your mind, Saint John, and removed yourself from the midst of rumors, in wisdom, you did not touch uncleanness. So, holy saint, remove unclean thoughts from my heart.
Theotokos: You were a true teacher of Orthodoxy and a great prayer book for the Mother of God. But even now, saint, never cease visiting your children, for you have great boldness towards God.
Song 3
Irmos: You are the affirmation of those who flow to You, Lord, You are the Light of the darkened, and my spirit sings to You.
As the sun rose in the east, you, Saint John, in the north, sitting on the throne of Great Novagrad, you shone with bright deeds, and you enlightened all the people with your teaching knowledge, and you blocked the mouths of heretics with the true word.
It is a good custom to have Divine love for all, to the wise John, dull the sharpness of the barbarians, to the saint, and bring them down to the end.
Having purified your heart, I pray to you God for the benefit of people, I heard the Divine voice saying to you about those who are useful: for your prayer was heard quickly, like the great one hundred Where is your prayer book to God, Saint John.
Theotokos: Gather together, O Most Pure One, all the Orthodox, to glorify Thee, the Queen, who gave birth to the King Christ; keep barbaric indignation away from us; Give Your servant the word, so that I may sing Your glorious miracles.
Sedalen, voice 4
Whenever I pray to you in the great church of the Wisdom of God, blessed John, purified in soul and body, I cried out to the Divine voice that appeared to you, even about the miracles of the Mother of God, and about deliverance city, and about the decoration of the Church of Christ, and received from the words of the wonderful voice of true signs and giving miracles, and pouring out Divine teachings to everyone. Likewise, with love, Father, we celebrate your holy memory.
Glory, even now: the Virgin Mary and the Mother of God, truly, like a cloud of light, has risen to us today and from the righteous comes to our glory; No one condemned Adam, and Eve was freed from bondage. And for this reason we call, crying out with the boldness of the One Pure Ones: joy proclaims Your Christmas throughout the entire universe.
Song 4
Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the sight of Your sacrament, I have understood Your works and glorified Your Divinity.
The Lawgiver is great, like Moses and David, who truly gained, Father, your children, like a child-loving father, we please the sons of Russia.
Many churches have been erected to the glory of God by you, the saint, who seemed to you to be the temple of God, perfect and undefiled, pure in soul and body, to the wise, and so also made us a temple We are the Holy Spirit, most blessed.
During the day you appeared as a son, but in the night I pray to you to God for the enlightenment of the words of God, Father John. The hated enemy wants to frighten you, not tolerating being tormented too much, but the all-evil one is bound by your prayer.
Theotokos: Lady Theotokos, establish confusion in the church, bring about prosperity forever and ever, and stop the mouths of the heretics, who have loved the unquenchable fire, from which deliver us, Thy servants Oh, and serve kindly like the Mother of God who was under the summer and who shone from the Father without flying: This is what you gave birth to us.
Song 5
Irmos: My spirit will awaken to You, O God, through the light of the commandment of Your coming: then illumine our minds, O Master, and guide us on the path of life.
You sincerely saw the Holy Resurrection and the Life-Giving Sepulcher in Jerusalem, through the church doors opened to you by the wave of the Holy Spirit, and you were considered worthy to receive the vision of God, Saint Joah No, you defeated the tempter in every possible way. And now I pray to Christ God to conquer all foreigners and infidels over our Orthodox people.
You were the abbot and archbishop of Great Novagrad and you flourished in the House of the Wisdom of God, like a phoenix, with fruitful words and an immaculate life, delighting your hearts, wise and inspired by God . And we, your children, pray to you, blessed one, that through your prayers we may receive mercy from the Savior Christ, and as we trust in a child-loving father.
The Church of God is alive and animated, the great saint John, in the Church of God, stretched out in the days and in the night, in wisdom, diligent to the Wisdom of God: the servant and interlocutor of God is manifest You were the greatest, and praise to Great Novagrad, and fertilizer to all Russian lands, to the Orthodox people With your prayers, grant health for vile victories and victories.
Theotokos: The Church of God, and the living chamber, and the pen in which there is manna, and the vegetated staff, and the uncut mountain, and all the prophecies that have come true about You, O Mother of God, Thy servant Hey, great saint John praises, and we pray to Thee, the only one of the human race taking away reproach.
Song 6
Irmos: I cried out to the Lord, who is able to save me, from the depths of sin, and raised my life from ashes, as the Lover of Mankind.
Sometimes you stretched out your hand to the mighty God, and you found salvation, but the waters served you through the nature of God by command, but the tempter was put to shame, and wept, and was completely destroyed by your prayers, John to the saint.
I will glorify you to God, as Moses of old, the wise John, present you as a shepherd and a leader, who carries the sea of life without blasphemy to the people, whom Christ redeemed with His Blood.
Having created the autocrat of the mind of passions, you reigned like a formidable winner, and you subdued the insolence of the soldiers by prayer to God and to the Most Pure Mother of God. Now help your faithful against the enemy, John, O great saint.
Theotokos: A fortress to the faithful, and a wall, and a stronghold, You are, O Most Pure One, given from the righteous Joachim and Anna; and according to the Annunciation of Gabriel, God was born from You. Through You, Most Pure One, the best flows from all and those who live on earth ascend to Heaven.
Kontakion, voice 4
The manifestly honest Church of Christ rejoiced in memory of the ever-famous Saint John, who rose from the Great Novagrad and surprised the whole country with his glorious miracles and all his virtues. handsome. And after his repose, his honest body will be found incorruptible, emanating great miracles. Moreover, we call to him: O all-blessed one! Pray to Christ God continually for all of us.
Ikos
We celebrate brightly today, to the current church, the entire sacred cathedral, and the monastics, and the multitude of people, and the entire flock of Christ, in memory of our father, Saint John. We glorify the one glorified by God, whose life the angels were amazed, and unpunished as punishment, and the protection of the human mind, and the foundation of the Church, the pillar of the Wisdom of God that never falls, and Great Novagrad wall and establishment, and all Russian lands were fertilized, and surprised the universe with glorious miracles and adorned with all the virtues. Moreover, according to his heritage, we bless him, for Christ prays for all of us.
Song 7
Irmos: The Chaldean furnace extinguished the all-pernicious power in the image of the angel who descended, crying out to the Creator of the youth: Blessed are you and praiseworthy, God our father.
Sometimes people are exhausted, seeing the weapons of the enemy; Then you, Blessed John, armed yourself with rage against sin, turning to the merciful God in prayer, and your prayer was quickly heard, and you taught people to cry: Blessings n God of our fathers.
You have not served as a blessing, but as a newer of grace and truth, for the law of God is written on the inside of the tablet of your heart, received from God, richer Saint John. Moreover, the law taught us to cry: Blessed be the God of our fathers.
Theotokos: Walking in the light of the Lord, come, let us praise the Divine Door of the King to those who reign, Mary, the Pure Mother of God, for truly we are the hope of our souls, calling: Blessed be God the Father in ours.
Song 8
Irmos: Having been glorified on the mountain of saints and in the bush with fire of the Ever-Virgin Moses, sing and extol the mystery of the revealed Lord to all ages.
Established with the Heavenly ranks in the courts of the Lord, in the city of the Living God, St. John, equal to the angels, cried out at all-night vigils: praise and exalt Him forever.
Today Veliky Novgrad brightly celebrates your memory, flaunts your wonderful life, St. John. Do not remember the sins of your children, father, but, like a loving father, turn to mercy, praying to the merciful God, to Him we sing: praise and exalt Him forever.
The temple of your sacred soul appears to be God's, in which the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit dwell more than nature, but you, the saint, are filthy in finding alienation from your inheritance, by Orthodox people Grant peace and health to those who call: praise, sing and exalt Him forever.
Theotokos: Truly, Saint John was honored with a great gift from God, as you were deemed worthy to serve the miracles of the Holy Mother of God, Her wonderful sign. For your prayer is hastened to God and to His Most Pure Mother of God: truly, the prayer of the righteous is hastened.
Song 9
Irmos: Heaven was terrified at this, and the ends of the earth were amazed, for God had appeared as a man in the flesh, and Your womb was the most spacious of Heaven. Thus, Ty, the Mother of God, the Angels and the people of the ranks are magnified.
You surprised people in your life, wonderful John, and after you turned to God above the custom, all the miracles happened in you, I will glorify Christ in this way, as the truth is His servant go. We please you, like a strong, holy, helper in battles.
Give peace to the Churches, Saint, with your prayers and Orthodox banners help against all enemy enemies and raise up the horn of the Russian land, O blessed one, standing before the Throne of the Holy Trinity. And be unyielding from us, persistent in prayer to God, and we will please you.
Accept this little and humble praise, O saint, from my unworthy lips, and from my vile tongue, and from my unclean heart: for you, O great Saint John, have been purified in soul and body, especially with A ray of sunshine shone upon you, having fulfilled God’s commandments, and reposed in the Unevening Light you are. It is true that you pray for forgiveness of sins to those who honor you, blessed John.
Theotokos: Holy Blessed Mother of God, who sing of Your love, save You, who mercifully destroy rumors of temptation: for having given birth to God, you can create everything you want, the Virgin We magnify you.
Luminous
From the Light of the Trisian you heard the voice of the Divine, Saint John, and you glorified the Trinity in the Unity and the Unity in the Trinity, and you taught people the same way, and you enlightened the ends of the world by your teaching. Moreover, we honor you with dignity, creating an honorable memory of you.
Saint Elijah, in the schema John, Novgorod and Pskov
Elijah, in schema John (+ 1186), Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov, saint. Commemorated on September 7 (September 20) on the day of his death, on December 1 (December 14) in honor of the discovery of the relics, and in the Cathedral of Novgorod Saints.
In the world, John was born in Novgorod from noble and pious parents Nicholas and Christina. He was raised in love for the Lord and the fear of God, his childhood passed in a serene, calm atmosphere.
Upon reaching adulthood, he was ordained a priest by the Novgorod bishop Saint Arcady to the church of the Hieromartyr Blasius.
But his love for silence led him to one of the Novgorod monasteries, where he accepted monasticism with the name Elijah. He led a strictly ascetic life in the monastery, dwelling in fasting and prayer, and soon became known throughout the city for his pious life.
At the calling of the people, he took over the management of the Novgorod department. Perhaps this happened as early as 1162. On March 28, 1165, Metropolitan John of Kyiv ordained him bishop of Novgorod and the first of the Novgorod bishops was immediately elevated to the rank of archbishop, which from that time became established as the rulers of Novgorod.
The saint's activity in Novgorod began with the construction of churches and monasteries. In the first year of his priesthood, churches were built in the name of the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas, and the women's monastery of the Baptist and the men's monastery of the Annunciation were founded. The founding of the last monastery was a long-standing desire of the saint and his brother, also the future saint, Gabriel.
In 1170, the Suzdal army went to war with Novgorod along with the united army of appanage Russian princes. After a three-day siege, during which services were held throughout the city, and the bishop himself relentlessly poured forth before the image of the Savior, on February 25 he received a voice from the icon, commanding him to bring to the city wall the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos from the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This was done, after which the enemies They became confused and fled, saving the city from destruction. In honor of this miracle, the saint established on November 27 the holiday of veneration of this holy icon, since then called “The Sign.”
As a kind father, he was the first to take care of the helpless poverty, the poor families of the Novgorod land, devastated by the past invasion and suffering from hunger, and generously gave help to the unfortunate. The saint was an opponent of the internecine war and, after the victory, convinced the Novgorod princes to ask for peace from Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky. In 1172, he himself went to Vladimir to make peace with the blessed Prince Andrei.
The saint's generosity did not prevent him from taking care of the construction and decoration of churches for his flock. In 1179, the saint, together with his brother Gabriel, built the magnificent Church of the Annunciation in the men’s monastery he created, the funds for the completion of which were miraculously sent by the Queen of Heaven Herself - through the persistent prayer of the holy brothers, She predicted in a dream that she would provide everything necessary, and the next morning they a beautiful horse loaded with two bags of gold, which disappeared immediately after they took off the bags. In 1182, a stone Church of the Epiphany was built above the gates of the monastery and then another Church of the Epiphany above the Kremlin gates. In 1184 a stone temple was built on Opoki. In addition, he built more temples: in the name of his patron the prophet Elijah, in the name of the three youths of Babylon, the Venerable Theodore of Studium, and righteous Lazarus.
The saint was most concerned about the spiritual enlightenment of the people. He paid great attention to spiritual conversations, which often took place among clergy and laity. Up to 30 of his teachings have survived.
His life continued to flow in unceasing feats of fasting and prayer and in the same vigilant care for the flock entrusted to him, which was constantly agitated by civil unrest.
For his spiritual simplicity and purity of heart, the Lord gave the saint power over demons. One day, when he was praying at night as usual, he heard someone splashing water in the washbasin. Seeing that there was no one nearby, the saint realized that it was a demon trying to scare him. The saint fenced the washbasin with a cross and forbade the demon. Soon the evil spirit could not stand the prayer of the saint, which scorched him with fire, and began to ask to be released from the laver. The saint agreed, but set the condition that the demon carry him in one night from Novgorod to Jerusalem to the Holy Sepulcher and back. The demon fulfilled the saint's command, but asked him not to tell anyone about his shame. However, in one of the conversations the saint told the congregation that he knew a man who visited the Holy Land overnight. The vengeance of the evil one was not slow to take effect: he began to throw women’s things into the saint’s cell. One day, when a large crowd of townspeople, excited by envious and unfriendly people, gathered at the saint’s cell, the demon showed them as if a woman had run out from him. The saint came out to the noise and meekly asked: “What happened, my children, what are you making noise about?” The irritated crowd, shouting various accusations about the vicious life of the saint, dragged him to the Volkhov Bridge. There they lowered him onto a raft without oars, and allowed the flow of water to carry him anywhere, unworthy, in their opinion, of an archpastor. But to the surprise of everyone, the raft floated not with the flow, but against the flow of the river to the Yuryev Monastery, which stood three miles from the city. The monks of the monastery met with honor the archpastor who landed on their shore. And the Novgorodians, amazed by the miracle, realized that they were wrong and with tears asked the saint to forgive them and return to the pulpit. The kindly saint forgave everyone and returned to Novgorod.
This event occurred shortly before the death of the saint. Dejected by the years, exhausted by labor and feeling the approach of death, Saint Elijah was tonsured into the schema with the former (secular) name John. He later became famous under this name. He appointed his brother, Saint Gregory, as his successor. Saint John died on September 7, 1186, and was buried in the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral.
In 1439, during the renovation of the temple, a large stone fell from the wall and broke the stone lid of the tomb above the saint’s coffin. In the presence of Archbishop Euthymius, they lifted the board in the resulting hole and immediately the whole church was filled with fragrance. Saint Euthymius, bending over the coffin, saw an unknown saint in the schema, who was not touched by corruption. The name of the saint was not known, since there was no inscription on the lid. Then the archbishop fervently prayed to the Lord that the name of the saint would be revealed to him. After fervent prayer, on the night of October 4, a husband appeared to him in a dream, dressed in holy robes, and said that he was Archbishop John, honored to serve the miracle of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her honorable sign. Then Saint John ordered that on this day a special requiem mass be celebrated for the Russian princes and archbishops of Novgorod buried in St. Sophia Cathedral - thus began the celebration of the cathedral memory of the Novgorod saints.
The relics of the saint rested openly in the Novgorod Cathedral. The church-wide glorification of St. Elijah-John by the Russian Church followed at the Moscow Council in 1547. In 1629, Metropolitan Cyprian of Novgorod established a celebration on December 1 in honor of the discovery of the relics of St. John.
Prayer to Saint John, Archbishop of Novgorod
First prayer
Oh, all-praiseworthy saint of Christ and wonderworker John! Accept this small prayer from us sinners who come running to you, and with your warm intercession beg our Lord and God Jesus Christ, that, having looked upon us mercifully, He will grant us forgiveness of our voluntary and involuntary sins, and by His great mercy He will deliver us from troubles , sorrows, sorrows and illnesses of soul and body that beset us; May the land bear fruit and everything that is needed for the benefit of our present life; May He grant us the end of this temporary life in repentance, and may He grant us sinners and unworthy of His Heavenly Kingdom to glorify His endless mercy with all the saints, with His Beginningless Father and His Holy and Life-giving Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Second prayer
Oh, the most honorable and sacred head and the grace of the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, the abode of the Savior with the Father, the great bishop, our warm intercessor, Saint John, standing at the Throne of all the King and enjoying the light of the Consubstantial Trinity and cherubically with the angels proclaiming the trisagion hymn, great and unexplored boldness Having to the All-Merciful Master, pray for the salvation of Christ's flock of people, establish the well-being of the holy churches, decorate the bishops with the splendor of holiness, strengthen the monastics with the feat of the good trend, preserve the reigning city and all the cities of the country well and keep the holy immaculate faith, pray that the whole world through your intercession will die, from deliver us from famine and destruction, and save us from the attacks of foreigners, comfort the old, guide the young, make the foolish wise, have mercy on widows, stand for orphans, grow up babies, return captives, heal the infirm, and everywhere warmly calling you and falling down with faith and praying to you from all free us from misfortunes and misfortunes through your intercession, pray for us to the All-Bountiful and Humane-loving Christ our God, so that on the day of His terrible coming He will deliver us from this standing state and create the joys of the saints as partakers with all the saints forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion
voice 8
Today the most glorious great Novgrad flaunts brightly, having your relics in itself, Saint John, like the sun's rays, and giving healing, flowing with faith to you. Pray to Christ God to deliver this city unharmed, from barbarian captivity, and internecine warfare, and fiery incineration, Holy Hierarch, God-Wise and Wonder-Bearer, heavenly man and earthly angel; May we come together in love in your memory, brightly celebrating, rejoicing in songs and singing, and glorifying Christ, who gave you such grace of healing, and the intercession and establishment of the great Novograd.
Troparion
voice 4
Lord our God, always deal with us according to Your will, do not leave Your mercy from us, but through the prayers of Your Saint John, arrange our life in the world.
Kontakion
voice 4
The Honest Church of Christ appeared to rejoice, in memory of the ever-famous Saint John, who arose from the great Novagrad, and surprised the whole country with glorious miracles, adorned with all virtues. And upon his repose, his venerable body was found incorruptible, emanating great miracles. We also call to him: Oh, all-blessed! Pray to Christ God continually for all of us.
Iconography
In 1599, a wooden shrine was built to store sacred relics. An image of the saint was painted on the lid of the reliquary, which was then transferred to the icons. Later, the wooden shrine was replaced with a gilded one, decorating the walls with relief carvings representing the miracles and deeds of the saint. The first icons depicting the holy face date back to the 16th-17th centuries. On most icons the archbishop is depicted in full height.
Characteristic features inherent in the appearance of the saint:
- gray beard of round shape;
- the right hand is raised in a blessing gesture;
- with his left hand he holds a scroll or a book.
Saint John is wearing liturgical episcopal vestments. An omophorion decorated with crosses will be draped over the shoulders.
