There is a monastery in Zadonsk in which the river of pilgrims does not become scarce, striving to fall to the shrine with the relics of their caring shepherd. The monastery’s inexhaustible source of grace is the saint’s answer to fervent prayers addressed to him both under the magnificent church vaults and in the modesty of his home. Memory of St. Tikhon is celebrated three times a year, but the main solemn day is the time of blessed death on August 13 (26).
Saint Tikhon of Voronezh, Wonderworker of Zadonsk
Prayers to Saint Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh, Wonderworker of Zadonsk
Prayer 1
Oh, great saint of Christ and miracle worker Tikhon! Hear us, many sinners, who come running to You with warm faith and tender prayer. We know before you your angel-like good life on earth, we glorify your mercy to everyone, we are in awe of the height of your Christian virtues, in which you have prospered in good times to glory, wonderfully glorifying go to the Lord. You truly were the good shepherd of the spiritual flock of Christ, the valiant builder of the mysteries of God, the pillar and adornment of the Orthodox Church, Russian Zlatoust, strong in eradicating pagan customs a skilled interpreter of the Gospel teachings, a zealous guardian of sacred fatherly traditions, a lover of monastic silence, a divinely inspired collector of treasures of spiritual wisdom from visible to this world, created in wisdom by God. You, as a chosen vessel of grace, did not lazily teach all those who thirsted for salvation in word, life, love, Spirit, faith, purity and humility. You were the merciful protector of the orphans, the care of widows, the poor, and a quick comforter to all those in trouble and adversity. And now we know that we stand before the face of the Lord of glory and have great boldness towards Him; For this reason, Father, we come running to You and fervently pray to You: be an intercessor for all of us at the Throne of the Most High. May He forgive our lawlessness and unrighteousness; may it enlighten our mind, darkened by vanity, and direct it to the true light of the knowledge of God; may our weak hearts be preserved from the lustful, sinful passions and corrupting wisdom of this age; may the land be given timely irrigation of rain and fruit, and all that is useful to us, even to the temporal and eternal life, and may all who flow to the race of your incorruptible relics find peace, love and serenity. For our Church, ask the Heavenly King for mercy, prosperity, salvation, and for victory and overcoming our enemies. Protect our Fatherland with peace and quiet, preserve your holy abode from all temptations and teach us all to reverently and fearfully walk along the paths of God’s commandments, so that we too may be worthy stand with you and with all the saints at the right hand of the Lord of hosts on the day of his terrible universal Judgment. Remember, O saint of Christ, the holy hierarch Father Tikhon, in your holy prayers, the souls of our departed fathers and brothers, may the Lord rest them in the Heavenly villages; Do not despise our sighing, so that we may glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 2
Oh, all-praised saint and saint of Christ, our Father Tikhon! Having lived like an angel on earth, you, like a good angel, appeared in your wondrous glorification. We believe with all our souls and thoughts that you, our merciful helper and man of prayer, through your simple intercessions and grace, abundantly bestowed upon you from the Lord, will greatly contribute to our salvation. nu. Accept, dear servant of Christ, even at this hour our unworthy prayer: through your intercession we are freed from the vanity and superstition that surrounds us, the unbelief and evil of man. Strive, the quick representative for us, with your favorable intercession to beg the Lord, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, sinners and unworthy His servants, may He heal with His grace may these incurable ulcers and strings of corrupted souls and bodies dissolve our petrified hearts with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna; May He grant to all His faithful people in this present world peace and silence, health and salvation and good haste in everything, so that a quiet and silent life has lived in all piety and purity, in accordance with Let us fight with the Angels and with all the Saints to glorify and chant the all-holy Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 3
Oh, great saint of God and glorious miracle worker, our holy father Tikhon! With tenderness we bow our knees and fall before the race of your honorable and multi-healing relics, we praise, glorify and magnify the God who glorified you, and to us unworthy who showed great mercy in you, and all We sincerely honor your holy memory with faith and love, we pray to you: bring our prayer to to the sustaining and saving man-loving Lord, to Him you now stand as an Angel and with all the Saints, so that He may establish in His holy Orthodox Church the living spirit of the right faith and piety, and all its members, purified from vanity and superstition, worship Him in spirit and truth and diligently care about keeping His commandments, may her shepherd give holy zeal for the salvation of the people entrusted to them - to observe the right of believers, to strengthen the weak and infirm in the faith, instruct the ignorant, reprove the contrary. And again, with hope, like a child of our father, we pray to you, Saint Tikhon, for we believe that you, living in Heaven, love us with the same love that all your neighbors love You loved that you should always remain on earth, ask the all-merciful Lord and to all of us, give the gift that everyone needs and everything that is useful for the temporary and eternal life, peace of peace, establishment of our cities, fruitfulness of the earth, deliverance from famine and destruction, preservation from the invasion of foreigners, consolation to the afflicted, healing to the sick, restoration to the fallen, return to the path of truth for those who go astray, strengthening for those who strive in good deeds, prosperity for those who do good, blessing for parents, education and teaching for children in the Lord’s passion, guidance and piety for a mentor, ignorance help and intercession to those who seek admonition, to the orphans, the poor and the needy, who depart from this temporary life to the eternal good preparation and parting words for those who have departed to blissful repose. All of these, most especially, we ask, Saint Tikhon, from the Generous God, as we have great boldness towards Him: for you, as an acquisitor, is a true intercessor and a warm prayer for us before the Lord, Him All glory, honor and worship are due. To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 4
Oh, saint, our father Tikhon! Hear us and strive through your favorable intercession to beg the Lord, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, sinners and unworthy His servants (names), may He heal the undead with His grace whole ulcers and scabs of the corrupted souls and bodies of ours, may our petrified hearts dissolve with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may He grant peace and silence, health and salvation in this world, may we be honored in this way, with the Angels and with all the saints You, glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion
voice 8
From your youth you loved Christ blessedly, / you were the image of all in word, life, love, / spirit, faith, purity and humility, / and you also dwelt in the heavenly abodes, / and where I stand before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity,/ pray to Saint Tikhon,/ / save our souls.
Kontakion
voice 8
The successors of the apostles, / the adornment of the saints, / the teacher of the Orthodox Church, / the Lord of all, we pray, / grant peace to the universe, / and great mercy to our souls.
Troparion, tone 8*
From your youth you loved Christ blessedly, / you were the image of all in word, life, love, / spirit, faith, purity and humility, / and you also dwelt in the heavenly abodes, / and where I stand before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity,/ pray to Saint Tikhon,/ / save our souls.
Translation: From your youth you loved Christ, blessed one, you were an example for everyone in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity and humility, therefore you settled in the Heavenly abodes, where, standing before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, pray, St. Tikhon, for the salvation of souls ours.
Educator and benefactor of Voronezh land
The boy, who was named Timothy, saw the light of God in 1724. He was born into the family of a rural psalm-reader Savely Sokolov, who, having soon lost their only breadwinner, was forced to endure extreme poverty. From an early age, Timofey was accustomed to hard work for his fellow villagers in order to feed himself.
Fortunately, Timofey passed military service; he entered the Novgorod Seminary, which he graduated from and where he subsequently shared his knowledge with grateful students.
Miraculous signs of God's protection prompted Timothy to take the path of monasticism when he was already over 30. Monk Tikhon was appointed rector of the seminary in Tver, and in 1761 he was honored with ordination as a bishop. First, a vicar in Novgorod, then four years of independent bishopric in Voronezh.
Useful materials
Sparing no effort in establishing his flock in the Word of God, the zealous bishop did not care at all about his health. As a result, he was forced to ask for retirement to spend the last decade and a half of his life in the monastic monastery of Zadonsk.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
But even there he continued to work in the study of Divine economy: he slept little, prayed a lot, read the Holy Scriptures, created his soul-helping works and helped his neighbors, giving his entire pension to charity.
“You must not live in idleness, but exercise yourself in blessed labors. Because idleness is the cause of all evil, and whoever lives in idleness continually sins. The exception is the infirm and elderly people who cannot work,”
- the saint emphasized.
He lived in an atmosphere of non-covetousness, bemoaning his inability to work even more for the good of the Church. Being hot-tempered by nature, the saint always tried to repay insults with good in his deeds, asking for forgiveness from those whom his actions could irritate.
Saint Tikhon spent a lot of time talking with ordinary people, taught children how to pray, and helped the poor with money. He possessed a prophetic gift, predicting events from the reign of Emperor Alexander I the Liberator.
13
Augusta
1783
The soul of the zealous saint set off on its final journey.
The incorrupt relics of the people's teacher were discovered half a century later, and in 1861 he was canonized by the Church as one of its heavenly saints.
In Soviet times, the blessed remains were kept in a museum. In the late 80s, they were donated by the authorities to the main church of the Oryol diocese, and three years later they found peace in Zadonsk.
Interesting fact
The saint’s most popular book is his work entitled “Spiritual Treasure Collected from the World,” written in 1770. The collection of short instructions and life stories inspires believers to live according to the commandments of Christ.
Detailed life: Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
Who is Tikhon Zadonsky
The future theologian was born in the small village of Korotsk, in the Novgorod province, in 1724 and at birth received the name Timofey. My father was a clerk in a local church. The family, which had six children, lived modestly and piously. When the father died, all the burdens of earning money fell on the shoulders of the mother and older sons. Hard, hungry years came. One day, a desperate widow even wanted to give Timofey up for adoption to a neighbor, but her son Peter dissuaded her from doing so.
Peter loved Timothy and cared for him. It was thanks to the care of his brother that the young man was able to enter theological school at the age of thirteen. To ease the burden of paying for his family, he worked small jobs and studied hard. When the school was reorganized into a theological seminary, the young man, as one of the best students, was transferred to free education.
Over time, the talented student began teaching Greek to seminary students, receiving a small salary for this. And a little later he was appointed teacher of rhetoric and philosophy. In 1758, Timothy took monastic vows with the name Tikhon. This was followed by a new position - prefect of an educational institution. A year later in St. Petersburg, he was ordained hieromonk, after which he went to Tver, where he became archimandrite of the Zheltikovsky monastery. He also taught theology at the local seminary.
A few years later, the talented clergyman was sent to the north-west, to the post of Bishop of Ladoga. He managed to visit his native Novgorod province, where local residents who knew him as a boy were surprised by his success and apologized for past grievances. Tikhon himself forgave them with meekness and kindness.
In 1763, the bishop went to Voronezh. The situation in this diocese was difficult. The flock was corrupted, and the church ministers could not call the people to a righteous life. But Tikhon was able to organize the work of the clergy. The saint himself preached among people in the most remote corners of the region. He founded the Voronezh Theological Seminary, where he collected a good library and personally taught classes to students.
The hard work of Tikhon of Zadonsky continued for four long years. The health of the righteous man deteriorated, and he asked to be released into retirement, but since the leadership did not know anyone else who could cope with the duties of the local bishop so well, they persuaded him to stay. He was finally dismissed in 1767. At first the clergyman went to the Tolshevsky monastery, but two years later he moved to the Zadonsk monastery.
The meek and kind-hearted shepherd, despite his illnesses, observed all the strict rules of monastic life. Due to his great wisdom and righteousness, Saint Tikhon became a perspicacious old man and foresaw many things in advance. He read people's hearts and always said that forgiveness is the most important thing. In 1783 he introduced himself, leaving behind many theological works and a good memory.
The saint's body was buried in the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos monastery. At the place of his burial, many miracles were performed through the prayers of the suffering. Therefore, in 1861 he was canonized as a saint. And today, pilgrims come to the monastery to pray to the saint, to ask for his intercession and help.
People pray to him for healing in illnesses, lack of money and other difficulties.
Believers also noticed that Saint Tikhon, through the prayers of those who suffer, helps to get rid of various addictions that prevent a person from living freely and joyfully in Christ. Such mental and physical ailments are:
- destructive drinking;
- slavish craving for smoking;
- terrible drug addiction;
- sucking depression;
- intoxicating insanity;
- eclipsing madness.
Saint Tikhon responds especially clearly to those who themselves or whose relatives or friends fall under the power of all kinds of sorcerers and sorcerers.
They also turn to the saint with more ordinary petitions: to help with their studies and work, to improve their financial situation.
Evidence of gracious help
Numerous testimonies of the gracious help of St. Tikhon through the prayers of believers can be found on the Internet today. Let us point out just a few examples.
One nun suffered greatly from cirrhosis of the liver. Medicine, with all its expensive drugs and modern technical means, turned out to be powerless in the face of a devastating disease. All that remained was to pray, which the sick woman did in front of the image of St. Tikhon. She cried out to the heavenly intercessor for many days, and eventually received complete healing from her illness.
Even being on his deathbed, a person does not lose hope of extending his earthly days, asking permission for this from his Heavenly Father. The saints help us convey this prayer. The husband of one parishioner was dying of cholera. She turned in prayer to Saint Tikhon, and death receded. He recovered and both went to Zadonsk to thank the miracle worker for getting rid of the deadly plague.
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This saint, being in Heaven, continues to receive those who come for advice and help. He listens carefully to requests and gives his answer. Many Orthodox Christians have icons depicting the saint in their home iconostasis.
Seraphim Peresvetov
The meaning of the akathist
An akathist is a solemn chant glorifying the deeds and holiness of the Lord, the Virgin Mary or saints. Reading it, a Christian thanks God for his mercy and help. This type of prayer is believed to have great power. People often resort to this chant to humbly ask the saint for help or to express gratitude. Sometimes people read the akathist for 40 days. But for such serious obligations it is necessary to take the blessing of a priest.
An akathist to St. Tikhon of Zadonsk was written by Archbishop Joseph of Voronezh.
Residents and clergy of the Voronezh diocese remembered the good shepherd. Therefore, it was here that a solemn chant glorifying the ascetic was composed. The Holy Synod approved the text of the akathist in 1866.
