The relationship between parents and children is similar to the relationship with our Heavenly Creator. Therefore, parents are given special power over their children by the Lord, and mothers are given special power of speech. Prayers for children are most often the most ardent and sincere, because the parent’s heart, as if bursting out of the chest, contritely prays to God for the healing and salvation of their children.
They also pray to the heavenly intercessors for this. Among them is the Venerable Stylian of Paphlagon. Little known in our country, the Greek wonderworker today is recognized by more and more believers as a children's saint, a friend of children, and a child intercessor.
St. Stylian of Paphlagon
Life of Saint Stylian
Memorial Day: December 9
In the 5th century, Stylian was born in Adrianople. The city was located in Paphlagonia, hence the name of the saint. He was blessed from an early age. The older and smarter the future saint became, the closer he became in spirit to the mercy of God. From a very young age, he strove to live holy and correct.
He always considered his father's inheritance as an anchor that was a weight on his shoulders. Therefore, when he reached his majority, the saint distributed all his belongings to the poor. Stylian always helped the needy and the poor. After he indulged in monastic life, he was tonsured in one of the monasteries in Asia Minor. He lived simply, without excesses.
Stylian settled in a cave in a deserted desert. After years of solitude, God decided to grant him the ability to heal children and be their protector. After that moment, people pulled up to the cave, waiting for help and believing in him. The monk lived to a ripe old age.
Why do they turn to the saint?
Historians have not preserved the exact date of birth of the future protector and patron of children.
- From childhood, the boy was distinguished by his special reverence for the Word of God and strictly monitored the purity of not only his body, but also his soul. As a boy, a youth, a young man, he often came under attacks from Satan, who wanted to trap the young soul in the network of his passions.
- The greatest desire of Stylian, who had reached adulthood, was to purify his soul, body and perceive God’s world like a child in order to know true life. By distributing all his rich inheritance to the poor, he confirmed the absence of the passion of love of money in his soul.
- After taking monastic vows, the monk began to lead an ascetic life, and over time he asked for his mentor’s blessing for a solitary life in the desert. He based his beliefs on the words from the New Testament, with which Jesus calls the disciples to be like children.
- The hermit spent days and nights in the knowledge of the Word of God in order to suppress his own thoughts in the fullness of his existence and do the will of the Almighty. Living in a cave, Stylian glorified the Creator, observing His creations, the moon, stars, sun, animal behavior and the rebirth of nature.
Father St. Stylian of Paphlagon
By the will of God, the fame of the miracle-working hermit quickly spread beyond his native land, and pilgrims flocked to the saint for help.
The Almighty Creator saw the desire of the heart of a monk living in the desert to have faith similar to a child’s, and blessed him with the gift of healing the bodies and souls of children. Despite the fact that the cave of the Child Protector was located far in the desert, mothers with sick children made a difficult journey to return healthy.
Saint Stylian never ascribed to himself the glory of the Lord. He brought each child in his arms before God, raising the baby to the Almighty, in humility, with tears in his eyes, begging the Creator to show His mercy and grant healing.
The great faith of the hermit returned with health and restoration to the sick body of the child. Often, in front of Stylian’s cave, barren women knelt, praised the Lord and waited for the monk’s prayer, after which many gave birth to more than one child.
How do prayers help Stylian of Paphlagonia?
Saint Stylian helps not only children, but also adults in conceiving and healing children. They say that the saint will help with almost all ailments. He gave many single women hope for a child, and some actually became happy mothers of many children. Therefore, to this day, in difficult situations, women read a prayer for the gift of children to Saint Stylian. The Reverend can also help:
- If a child goes on a long journey without parents;
- Trust your child in yourself, stop being afraid and forget your fears;
- So that the child does not get sick;
- If schoolwork is difficult, there is misunderstanding with peers, bad grades.
Venerable Stylian - patron and healer of children
Have you ever seen such an interesting icon, which depicts a holy monk holding a baby in his arms? Yes, this icon is very rare, and few people know such a saint... but this is here, in Russia. And in Greece and Orthodox Cyprus everyone knows this saint and reveres him very much!!! Having visited Greek soil, you will come across many temples dedicated to him. This is the Monk Stylian the Paphlagonian.
On the icon, Saint Stylian is always depicted with a child in his arms (or with several babies), which reflects a special Orthodox tradition - to honor him as the patron saint of children.
Venerable Stylian - patron and healer of children
Texts of prayers to Saint Stylian
Troparion, tone 3
A pillar of inspired abstinence, an unshakable pillar of the Church, Stylian, you have become, blessed. You have trusted the Lord from your youth, you have appeared as the abode of the Spirit, Reverend Father, pray to Christ God to grant us great mercy.
Kontakion, tone 4
From the womb you were sanctified, as the Divine Samuel, who bore God, ascetifully glorified Christ God. In the same time of healings, you appeared as a treasure and divine representative of youths and infants, for Christ brightly glorifies you, even from your youth, Stylian, you glorified.
Prayer
Oh, sacred head, like Father Stylian! Having fought a good fight on earth, in heaven you received the crown of righteousness from Christ our God. Moreover, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. Honoring your great boldness before the Lord, we humbly pray to you, holy father: look with the gracious eye of your love on us, your unworthy servants, and strive to accept God With your new intercession, ask the King of kings and the Lord of lords, may He add His great and rich mercies to may He give us the spirit of the right faith, the spirit of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, may He deliver us from all troubles and misfortunes, may He send down all that is useful for salvation ours. To her, Holiness of God, do not disgrace our trust, which we place on you according to God and the Mother of God, but be our helper and protector for salvation, so that we may be worthy to end our life in repentance and acceptance Let us remember eternal goodness in the Kingdom of Christ our God, and let us glorify the Father’s love for mankind and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your holy intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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What is the strength and uniqueness of the icon?
In a few churches in Russia you can find an unusual image in which a baby is in the hands of a man. The Monk Stylian is little known to Russian believers. He is more revered in Greece and Cyprus, his name is translated as supporting, strengthening.
Icon of the Holy Venerable Stylian of Paphlagonia
Greeks often come to the holy image, knowing that the Child Defender is always ready to come, intercede for the child and help in his upbringing.
Important! On December 9, Orthodox Christians around the world venerate the icon of St. Stylian of Paphlagon as a faithful patron of children.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the image of the Child Defender in helping infertile couples who, through sincere and fervent prayers to the saint, receive the gift of childbearing.
Prayer to the Saint
O sacred head, Rev. Father Stylian! Having fought a good fight on earth, in heaven you received the crown of righteousness from Christ our God. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. Honoring your great boldness before the Lord, we humbly pray to you, reverend father: look with the merciful eye of your love on us, your unworthy servants, and strive through your God-pleasing intercession to ask the King of kings and the Lord of lords, so that He may add His great and rich mercies to May he give us, sinners, the spirit of the right faith, the spirit of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, may he deliver us from all troubles and misfortunes, may he send down everything useful for the salvation of our souls. To her, Holiness of God, do not disgrace our hope, which we place in you according to God and the Mother of God, but be our helper and protector for salvation, so that we may be worthy to end our life in repentance and receive eternal goodness in the Kingdom of Christ our God, and glorify the love of mankind of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your holy intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
History has preserved many cases when, after visiting the holy face and praying near it, parents who were sentenced by doctors to childlessness were born beautiful, healthy babies.
About the birth of children:
- Which icon should I pray to to give birth to a child?
- Prayers to preserve pregnancy
- Questions about IVF
Symbol of faith
Saint Stylian was born in Paphlagonia in Asia Minor between 400 and 500 BC. AD. He was blessed from the time he was in his mother's womb. As he matured and by the grace of God, he became the receptacle of the Holy Spirit.
Even as a child, he showed signs of a holy life from time to time. As a child and then a teenager, he did not allow evil desires to defile his spirit and soul. He was pure, immaculate and did not allow earthly passions to take over him. He did not allow wealth and the love of money to prevail over a pure soul and subject it to decay and death.
With the power of Divine grace, Stylian fought against the lures of corruptible temporary life. Reasoning with the true wisdom of God, he saw how fleeting and empty this material world was. The saint decided to follow the aspirations of his soul, which called him to wonderful moral deeds, asceticism and virtue, to a complex and difficult path to eternal life and eternal happiness.
His pure believing heart obeyed the call of his soul. The first thing he did was sell his property and give it to the poor of the church. And when nothing remained of his father’s inheritance, he said with relief and joy: “I have thrown off the heavy anchor that bound me with the desires of a corruptible body. I was freed from corruption and destruction. Now the clear path of true life opens before me.” Having parted with everything corruptible, the saint with a happy heart was ready to continue his honest and holy life.
Leaving only clothes as his only property, the saint begins a hard ascetic life, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ. When blessed Silouan turned his earthly treasures into heavenly ones, he went to the monastery to take monastic vows. Since then, no earthly thought, no material benefit could distance him from faith and prayer.
He no longer cared about anything and did not strive for anything except what was pleasing to the holy will of God. He fought to please the Lord, to perfect his soul and to be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. No personal desire that ran counter to the Divine will found a place in his life. His ascetic life defies description. He shines with holiness, shines with humility, and amazes with his purity. His fast is the strictest, and his prayer embodies true communication with God. His vigil is amazing.
As a monk, Saint Stylian strove to achieve three goals: non-covetousness, purity and obedience. And he succeeded in the best possible way. We have already been convinced of his non-covetousness: he did not leave himself anything unnecessary from his property. Never in his life did he care about acquisition, living in poverty.
He also valued purity and morality very highly. He kept his soul pure “from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.” He resisted the attacks of the evil one so that sin would never touch him. The saint always remembered the words of the Lord: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Happy are those who manage to keep their hearts untouched by the filth of immorality, since they will be worthy to see God in the Kingdom of Heaven. The saint was an example of true obedience to his elder and other monks. He tried in every possible way to cut off his own will, based on egoism. It is very difficult for a person to neglect his own desires. This is known to anyone who is engaged in spiritual warfare. In the monastery, Saint Stylian fought with three enemies: the flesh, the world and the devil. To defeat each of these enemies, many years of struggle are necessary, hard and tireless. This is where true heroism lies.
Thus, Saint Stylian becomes a bright light of ascetic life, a role model for both young and old. Everyone around him admires him and holds him up as an example. However, all the severity of his ascetic life is insufficient for the saint. He wants to get even closer to perfection. From now on, he needs complete solitude and the strictest asceticism - hermitage. Stylian leaves his monastery and brethren, retires to a distant uninhabited desert and settles in a cave.
Heavenly perfection becomes a new stage of his ascetic life. The saint spends his days and nights in reasoning, reflection and prayer to the Trinitarian God. With all his heart he sings of the greatness of God, glorifies the Holy Trinity, living in unity with God. Nothing disturbs his holy serenity. The only thing that is next to Stylian is the appearance of the Creator. He studies God's creation, and his faith becomes even stronger.
The hermit Stylian, being in the silence of the desert, had the opportunity to observe and reflect on the Divine creation. He sees the Creator in everything, because he believes that such a huge and beautiful, thoughtful and harmonious world cannot arise on its own. The saint sees God in countless celestial stars circling in vast outer space with tremendous speed and precision. Contemplating all this, Saint Stylian exclaims, echoing David: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament speaks of the work of His hands.” Then the saint proceeded to doxology, saying: “How numerous are Your works, Lord! Thou hast done all things wisely: the earth is full of Thy works.”
While in the desert, Saint Stylian constantly read two books: the book of nature and the Holy Scriptures. His heart, mind, soul, his whole being were completely devoted to God. A shiver runs through the body of the ascetic when his soul comprehends the beauty of Divine creation. The great feeling of love of the Monk Stylian for the most holy name of God is amazing. All the powers of the saint are concentrated in this Divine love, which makes him forget his carnal essence. The saint stops caring about food, eating only herbs growing in the desert. When such food is not available, God does not abandon the saint. God, who works miracles through His saints, does not allow the Monk Stylian to die of hunger. He supports his life by sending food through the Angels, as he once did for the Prophet Elijah, St. Mark - the Athenian philosopher, and others.
For many years Saint Stylian lived the hard life of a hermit. For several decades he fought here with the devil and with himself. He directed all his efforts to eradicate passions and acquire virtues in order to achieve holiness pleasing to God: “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
The Creator wanted Saint Stylian to remain on earth in order to shine with virtue and set a good example with his strict ascetic life and, being a true pillar of abstinence, a bright lamp of the desert, to illuminate all the ends of the earth.
God wanted to show the world the many virtues of Saint Stylian. However, the lamp must be placed high so that its light is not lost, but spreads everywhere. Likewise, those who shine with virtues are revealed by God to the world, so that they become light in the lives of other people. In the same way, Saint Stylian, adorned with virtues thanks to a difficult ascetic struggle, became like a lamp emitting a soft, warming light. Having reached the heights of moral perfection, he could shed the light of his holiness into the world for the glory of God and the salvation of people. A just God shows people how He glorifies those who honor and glorify His name.
The fame of Saint Stylian spread everywhere. Many people came to the monk with reverence to marvel at his holiness and receive spiritual and physical benefits. His wise words and advice changed the lives of many people. Fascinated by the asceticism of the saint, they distanced themselves from their vices, repented and were spiritually reborn. Other ascetics also turned to him to strengthen themselves in their endeavors, having heard his words and seen the radiance of his strict ascetic life. Saint Stylian knew: in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a person’s soul must be immaculate, like the soul of a child, similar to that of an angel. Therefore, he sought to patronize children. The omniscient God, encouraging this desire, endowed the saint with the ability to work miracles - to heal sick children. Mothers, carrying them on their shoulders, came with faith from near and far places to ask the saint for the healing of their children. For long days they wandered through the desert in the hope of finding the cave of St. Stylian, glorified by God. And having arrived there, with tears in their eyes they fell at the feet of the ascetic elder, praising God, who gave them this meeting, and praying for the recovery of their children. Saint Stylian, with kindness and compassion, took sick babies in his arms and prayed to God with tears, asking him to heal them. The Heavenly Lord listened to this heartfelt prayer, and the saint worked miracles: sick children became healthy again.
A variety of diseases disappeared before our eyes. No disease could withstand the power of God. Mothers cried with joy at the saint’s cave. They kissed the elder’s hand with respect and gratitude, glorifying God. And the elder himself constantly glorified the Holy Name of God, thanking Him for the miracles that He was worthy to perform. Then the saint looked with tenderness at the innocent creatures saved from illness, and a joyful smile, truly angelic, blossomed on the face of the ascetic. These miracles became widely known, and more and more people came to Saint Stylian to ask him for the healing of children.
Thus, the Holy God glorified the name of the Monk Stylian, who dedicated his life to Him. But the miracles performed by the saint were not limited to the healing of children who called upon the humble elder Stylian for help. The saint also became famous for the fact that through his prayers, childless families found children, and barren women learned the happiness of motherhood. Many Christian believers, previously childless, with the blessing of the elder became parents of beautiful and healthy children.
In addition, after the death of the saint, pious people who invoked his name and painted his icon in gratitude found children, even if they had already lost hope of ever becoming parents.
Meanwhile, monks from numerous monasteries come to the elder ascetic to find joy next to him, to touch his holiness. Monks and ascetics asked the holy teacher for advice on how to cope with temptations and how to find peace in their kin. They all saw in him an example of a holy ascetic life. His personality was filled with humility and radiated heavenly beauty.
And Saint Stylian tirelessly and with angelic calm taught them, instructed them, filled their hearts, strengthened them in faith and dispelled doubts. With his advice he calmed discord even in distant monasteries.
This is how Saint Stylian, glorified by the Heavenly Father, lived and served God. When he lived to a ripe old age, the Lord sent His Angels, who took his holy soul so that it could find rest after many years of labor, hardship and the severity of an ascetic life. Thus, the saint died in old age, full of virtues.
We know nothing about the place of his burial, just as we do not have other information about his arduous holy life. But we are left with his name, which is respected and honored by the entire Orthodox Church. People call on him in times of sorrow and, especially, when children are sick. Majestic temples are erected in his honor. The saint's miracles continue even after his dormition. To this day, Saint Stylian continues to be the patron saint of children. Some associate the name “Stylian” (from the Greek “stylono” - to support, strengthen) with maintaining the health of children.
Saint Stylian is depicted with a baby in his arms, which symbolizes his patronage of children. The saint's memory is celebrated on November 26/December 9.
Archimandrite Charalampos Vasilopoulos (+).
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How did the tradition of venerating this saint arise?
This tradition did not arise by chance: even during his lifetime, women came to Saint Stylian with a request to pray for the granting of long-awaited children to them, and mothers also brought their children to the saint’s cave so that he would bless and heal them. From that time until the present day, Saint Stylian has been considered the patron saint of children; they pray to him for the safe birth and good upbringing of their children.
This amazing saint lived in Asia Minor between 400 and 500 years. Having distributed all his property to the poor, he retired to one of the monasteries of Asia Minor and took monasticism there. Saint Stylian sought solitude, and therefore, after several years of living in the monastery, he said goodbye to the brethren and retired into the desert, where he settled in a cave. He led a very pure and holy life, and therefore rumors about the wondrous ascetic spread throughout the area. People began to come to him for prayer and spiritual advice. He received the suffering, consoled the sad, and instructed sinners to repentance.
Venerable Stylian - patron and healer of children
But especially often near his cave one could meet women with babies in their arms. From near and far cities and villages, mothers brought their sick children to the saint’s cave and asked Stylian to pray. He took the children in his arms and with tears asked God for healing. The Lord always answered his prayers! Also, through the prayers of the saint, barren women became mothers of many children. Even after the death of St. Stylian, women who prayed before his icon received healing from infertility.
It was no coincidence that the holy hermit became the patron saint of children: he deeply accepted the words of the Savior, “If you do not turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Saint Stylian tried very hard to acquire a childlike, sincere faith, and seeing his desire, the Lord gave him a special gift to patronize children.
Today there is an icon of St. Stylian the Paphlagonian in the Conception Monastery in Moscow (an icon with a particle of the saint’s relics). The Akathist to St. Stylian the Paphlagonian in Russian can be purchased in many Orthodox bookstores.
