Prayer to Mother Alipia for help
Prayer to Mother Alipia:
Oh, great praise to the Church of Christ, wall and consolation of the city of Kyiv, Venerable Mother Alipie!
We fall to you and we pray to you - be our intercessor to Christ God, vigilant, as we believe that if you beg God, the Lover of Mankind, everything will be given to you from the sea of His goodness. And since God is a lover of mankind, so you, who are begged by us sinners, will not despise our petition, for we ourselves, due to the multitude of our sins, do not have boldness. Your work, holy one, is to intercede for sinners; God’s work is to have mercy on the desperate. Ask, venerable one, for anyone according to his needs:
In those who are ill, quickly comfort and heal, as now you have done healing in abundance - as the dumb to speak, the blind to see, the bones damaged from the bed of illness to restore. You can ask the Lord for everything, venerable one, if you pray to Him for us.
Make fierce tumors into non-existence. Grant quick healing to those suffering from burns, just as you appeared to a sick youth at night, listening to his mother’s prayer. Moreover, you showed the great miracle of healing to the whole world. In these difficult days of triumph of lawlessness and untruth, for those offended and unjustly condemned, imprisoned in prison, envy, lies and self-interest for the sake of the persecuted, seek deliverance from slander and misfortune, as the grace to intercede for them has been given to you from the Lord.
Bless and unite good marriages. Give safe permission to childbearing mothers, protecting their children from any harm. Hear the warm prayer of the parents, the sorrow for their weary children, so that their children may pass into the consciousness of truth, escaping the snares of the evil one and find eternal salvation. Accept prayers for the parents of their grieving children, so that through your prayers they may know the light of Christ’s Gospel. Likewise, comfort the childless and give them the fruit of your womb, so that new true Christians may be presented to the Lord with your blessing and maternal upbringing. To those who require your help in consummating a Christian marriage, send them a companion in life, blessed by the Lord, so that through your care they may serve Christ God in the small church in a family union. Most of all, give peace, silence and unfeigned love, so that we may be true disciples of Christ. To those who have given themselves over to the ailments of drunkenness and drug addiction and those who lack the strength of spirit, leave this soul-destroying lawlessness, give strength of spirit and enlightenment of the mind, as you appeared to a person who received death from drunkenness and was healed from this illness by your blessing.
By your prayers, send down to the lonely and helpless the invisible consolation from the Lord and the knowledge of the true love of Christ, so that they may know that our friends - the saints and angels - invisibly watch over us.
Accept the petitions of the poor and suffering and give them unexpected care with your prayers, as if they may have you as a benefactor in their earthly life.
To the cowardly, despairing of their lives, be a quick comforter, just as you saved the wife who, in grief, intended to destroy herself, and the young woman, who was saved from harm in a fall from a height. Moreover, you delivered their souls from the pernicious abyss. Likewise, we pray to you, venerable one, save you from sudden death, just as you saved the boy unharmed when he received a terrible blow at an early age.
In the teaching of those who arrive, pour out maternal help and give an increase in intelligence, so that in the uneasy course of their teaching they remain without sorrow.
In the many different everyday affairs, troubles and difficulties, give a quick solution and a good ending to these things. Hear the prayers of those who mourn for those who are erring, who are outside the ark of salvation to the Orthodox Church, so that the All-Good Lord will save them by His destinies and bring them to the knowledge of His truth.
Grant strength and fortitude to the warriors in performing their godly service, may the Lord protect them from all evil. Instruct monastics in the right to walk the path of the Lord, strengthening them in asceticism and humbly bearing their cross, just as you also struggled for salvation in love for the Lord and His people.
Give the bishops and priests true standing in the Orthodox faith, so that they may shepherd the flock of Christ faithfully and unhypocritically, ruling rightly and walking without stumbling before the Lord.
The ruler and power of our people is wise, so that in union with the Church our country may remain in peace and quiet. Open for us with your prayers the doors of God's mercy and deliver us from all evil. Grant us to escape the snares of the evil one. Pray, venerable one, to the Merciful Lord for us who repent, that He may forgive us our sins according to the multitude of His goodness. And even to the end, through your prayers, keep us uncondemned, so that, saved by your intercession and help, we will always send glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship to the One God in the Trinity, the Creator of all. Amen.
Blessed Alipia of Kyiv, Fool for Christ's Sake
Revered Tomb
Blessed Alipia
On the northern outskirts of Kyiv, among pine trees and old birches, the Forest Cemetery stretches for several kilometers. In the depths, to the right of the central gate, one of the cemetery plots seems to have escaped from oblivion and atheistic captivity - it differs sharply from the already familiar marble dominance of black and brown monuments and tombstones. White crosses on humble graves speak of eternal, transformed and joyful life. This cemetery land belongs to the ancient Florovsky convent: nuns and clergy who died in the second half of the last century rest here.
The Forest Cemetery arose in the 1960s, and at the same time the abbess of the Ascension Florovsky Monastery, Antonia, contributed money to the city executive committee for the 8th cemetery plot. The abbess did not imagine, of course, that this place would eventually attract pilgrims from different parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and even from overseas. In the fall of 1988, the blessed nun Alipia (Avdeeva), known in the world as the holy fool for Christ's sake, the perspicacious old woman, was buried here. Nowadays, the veneration of her by the people of Kiev can only be compared with the veneration of Matryona of Moscow, although Blessed Alipia has not yet been canonized. Documents are only being collected and studied, but, according to the abbot of the Intercession Goloseevsk Hermitage, Archimandrite Isaac (Andronik), who headed this monastery revived in the 1990s, the canonization of the blessed one will take place soon. In passing, we note that Blessed Alipia asceticised precisely on the ruins of the Goloseevskaya hermitage destroyed in 1926, prayed to the saints of God who labored here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and some were buried here: Metropolitan of Kiev Philaret (Amphiteatrov; † 1857; his relics rest in the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra) and his confessor Hieroschemamonk Parthenius († 1855), for Christ's sake the holy fools elders Hieroschemamonk Theophilus († 1853) and monk Paisius († 1893), the elder confessor Hieromonk Alexy (Shepelev; † 1917). Blessed Alipia, as it were, took up this spiritual baton of the Goloseevsky ascetics and for many years prayed for the revival of the Goloseevsky hermitage. She secretly told her children that she would stay here “always, but not right away.”
The grave of the blessed one at the Forest Cemetery
But let's return to the Forest Cemetery.
I had a chance to visit the Florovsky site for the first time in 1990, even before the collapse of the Union, when only her spiritual children knew about Mother Alipia’s grave. Among them were some Florovian nuns who led me to the blessed one’s grave. For
a long time they talked about the old woman, about how she once lived in the hollow of a huge linden tree on the territory of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra before its closure in 1961, how through her prayers miracles of healing and God’s help were performed - like an open book, she read she is the heart of the people who come to her. She blessed many to the priesthood and monasticism, rescued many from the cold clutches of fatal diseases, and saved many from poverty and ruin in life.
From hagiographic notes about Blessed Alipia
As often happens when collecting and compiling hagiographic materials, various kinds of facts that give rise to doubt sometimes creep into the biography of the saints of God, especially when it concerns people who carried out the feat of foolishness. It is known that mother was a Mordovian by nationality and spoke Russian with errors, moreover, like all blessed ones, she spoke about herself abruptly and inconsistently, often secretly and without any comments. Nevertheless, her closest novices, or, as they are called, hozhalkas, as well as some spiritual children - philologists and journalists - managed to outline the life path of the blessed one on the pages of books, magazines and electronic sites. Here's what you can read about her childhood on the Kiev website “Blessed Alipia”:
“Blessed Alipia (Agapia Tikhonovna Avdeeva) was born presumably in 1910 in the Penza region into the pious family of Tikhon and Vassa Avdeev. The blessed old woman said that her father was strict, and her mother was very kind, a great hard worker and very neat. Sometimes he would put all sorts of treats in his apron and order her to take it to the poor in their village; Mom gave out especially a lot of gifts on holidays. When it was time to study, Agapia was sent to school. Lively, fast, quick-witted, she couldn’t help but give advice to everyone. The girl was transferred to another class, and among the children a year older than her, Agapia was distinguished by her intelligence and intelligence. In 1918, Agapia’s parents were shot. All night the eight-year-old girl herself read the Psalter for the dead. For some time Agapia lived with her uncle; Having studied at school for only two years, she went to “wander” to holy places... During the years of unbelief, she spent ten years in prison; despite the difficult conditions of detention, she tried to observe fasting and prayed incessantly.”
View from the lake to Goloseevo
Further in the life, the story is told about the miraculous liberation from prison, about the appearance of the Apostle Peter to the saint. Comparing this fact with the further prayer life of the old woman, one can understand why she prayed for many years in the Kiev Demeevsky Church directly at the large icon of the apostles Peter and Paul in the right aisle. The biography also mentions the meeting of the wanderer Agapia with the perspicacious hieroschemamonk Theodosius, who lived in the post-war period near Novorossiysk in the village of Gorny (former village of Krymskaya) and blessed her for the feat of foolishness. Mother herself used to say about this: “I was with Theodosius, I saw Theodosius, I know Theodosius.”
But the life of the blessed one in Kyiv is most fully described - from the 1960s to 1988 - for there is both documentary evidence of the facts and numerous testimonies of her spiritual children and everyone who communicated with her. Mother wore chains in the form of a huge bunch of keys, and on her chest, also under her clothes, an icon. Almost every day she brought bags of bread to the temple that people brought her, bought many candles and placed them in front of the icons herself. By the way, long before the schism, she once denounced former Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko) right during a service, for which she was expelled from the church. It is also known that on the eve of 1986, when the Chernobyl disaster occurred, my mother was very worried and talked about “terrible fires.” They say that at the beginning of April 1986, she left her hut in the Goloseevsky forest for many days and walked around the entire city with a staff, praying for its salvation.
I heard and learned many wonderful things about the blessed life. But then, in the cemetery, all this was perceived as a fairy tale.
And yet I believed
I then reacted to the nuns’ stories with a certain degree of distrust from an “educated Soviet journalist” who grew up in an atheistic environment, although he was a church member. While the lithium was being celebrated, I peered into the face of the blessed one in the oval photograph of the tombstone cross with the inscription “Fear God!” As I later found out, some possessed person came here several times, turned the cross inside out and threw it aside. Apparently, this inscription was intended to admonish him. The piercing gaze of the holy fool penetrated into the very heart, and peaceful peace descended into the soul.
“Ask your mother for help if you have any problems in life,” the nuns advised. - She helps everyone.
The temple in the lower part of which rests the relics of Blessed Alipia
I didn’t know what to ask for. Is it about the Nauchfilm film studio accepting my script about Father Mikhail Boyko, a famous Kiev confessor, the son of a repressed priest, who served as a volunteer mortarman throughout the Great Patriotic War? As I later learned, Father Mikhail himself treated Blessed Alipia with extreme distrust, considering her simply ill. At one time, he had the opportunity to serve as a deacon in the Ascension Church on Demeevka, where the holy fool prayed for many years. And yet, I prayerfully turned to Mother Alipia: “Pray, blessed mother, that my script will be accepted and people will learn about the persecution of the Church and its ministers.” My surprise knew no bounds when literally a few days later the editor of the film studio called me and said that the script had been accepted. Moreover, the director who shot the film about Father Mikhail found chronicle footage in the archives that captured the funeral service of peasants who died of starvation in the Poltava region. And what is surprising: the father of Archpriest Mikhail Boyko, priest Pavel Boyko, was included in the frame, and the little boy who served him was his son Mikhail. The director himself had no idea that the future father Mikhail was in his film. And the hero of the film exclaimed during the screening:
- This is my father! And here I am, next to you, barefoot!
After watching the film, I told Father Michael about my prayer at the saint’s grave, about how the script was not accepted for a long time, and then suddenly accepted. And that such a discovery of newsreel footage was also due to the prayers of the blessed one. To which the elder shook his head in surprise and said after a pause:
– God is marvelous in His saints!..
Then, visiting the grave of my parents, I visited my mother and met Vera Fedorovna Udovichenko, the compiler of books about Blessed Alipia, which included dozens of memoirs of the clergy, monastics and laity - both those who knew mother during her lifetime, and those who received help through her prayers after her death.
"And her memory forever and ever..."
I knew many of the clergy personally and then, after reading the book “Acquired Love,” published with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir in 2005, I talked with them and asked them about the nun Alipia. The former rector of the Ascension Demeevskaya Church, Father Methodius Finkevich (who became a monk in the Pochaev Lavra in his later years) revered Mother very much, and told how, during Alipia’s lifetime, he visited her house in the Goloseevsky forest. Then Father Methodius, still a young priest, served in the Vladimir Cathedral, and mother kept asking him:
- But you serve in Demeevka?
- No, mother, I came to you from the cathedral...
- Ah, from the cathedral...
Reliquary with the relics of Blessed Alipia
And so every time. “Yes, the old woman is already being forgotten,” thought Father Methodius. But he was soon appointed rector of the Demeevskaya Church, where he served for more than 20 years. When I told Father Methodius about the incident with the movie, he remarked:
“She was the embodiment of meekness and gentleness. I pray to her even in small things.
And in the book about mother there are stories about how she helped people in the most difficult life situations - those who were already on the brink of the grave, lost from drunkenness, were in the networks of sectarianism, lost children, husbands and wives, faced difficult life choices, not knowing how to proceed…
Among her spiritual children is the former Bishop of Tulchin and Bratslav Ippolit (Khilko), who is now retired. In his memoirs about the old woman, the bishop told how she predicted the episcopacy for him, and also about the fire that happened when he was studying at the Moscow Theological Academy: the fire broke out in 1986 just on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - five students then gave their souls to Christ.
“And my sister, who still didn’t know anything, was told about the fire by Mother Alipia: “The fire happened!” And he didn't sleep! I walked here and there!” According to my mother’s prayers, everything worked out – I really didn’t sleep that night.
The bishop listed several more amazing incidents from his life, how, through the prayers of the blessed one, he managed to save a finger that he almost lost while working with an electric saw - this was revealed to her, how she helped him fly to Jerusalem, where he carried out obedience in the Russian spiritual mission , and much more. I will give an episode of their last meeting. This was just before leaving for Jerusalem. Mother loved flowers very much, and Vladyka brought a bouquet.
- Mother, accept the flowers. They say they are a symbol of life.
- Life, you say? Then install it yourself.
This was their last meeting on earth.
God revealed to the blessed woman the time of her death. Mother went to the Lord on October 30, 1988. She asked: “What day does October 30th fall on?” She also said that it would snow at her funeral, which is what happened afterwards.
***
She lives in people's memory. Her name is heard at memorials in all the churches of Kyiv and beyond. The icon of the blessed one was written long ago by admirers and an akathist was compiled. But, apparently, the “fullness of times” unknown to us must be fulfilled before the words of her heavenly glorification are heard under the arches of churches.
Now the blessed one rests in the lower tier of the Church of the Intercession of the Goloseevsky Monastery - her relics were transferred here five years ago, in October 2006, and people come to mother in an endless stream. The monastery is especially crowded on the day of the repose of Mother Alipia - October 30.
Biography
Little is known about the life of Saint Alipia before the 60s of the last century. All information is gleaned from her meager stories about herself. The date of birth is indicated ambiguously: 1905, 1908, 1910. It is impossible to accurately determine the year of birth, since my mother lived her entire life without documents. Despite the strictest regulations, she did not have a passport or registration. She did not allow herself to be photographed. Her appearance can be judged from brief moments of newsreels.
Place of birth: Penza province. Last name - Avdeeva, baptismal name - Agafya, patronymic - Tikhonovna. Her parents were Orthodox Mordvins, pious and hardworking people. Mother's name was Vassa. From childhood, Agafya was distinguished by her intelligence and intelligence. After the death of her parents in 1918, the girl lived with her uncle for two years. From the age of ten I went “wandering” to holy places. For her religious views she was imprisoned along with repressed clergy.
During the war, Agafya was taken to forced labor in Germany. She managed to escape from the concentration camp, cross the front line and return to Kyiv. Here she lived for 43 years, becoming famous as a fool for Christ, a seer and a wonderworker. The blessed one wore chains and an icon of her patron saint under her clothes.
Six months before her death, mother knew about the day of her death. She was buried at the Forest Cemetery, on the site of the Florovsky Monastery on October 30, 1988.
Canon to the Holy Venerable Alypius, icon painter of Pechersk
Song 1.
Irmos:
Let us sing a song, people, to our wonderful God, who freed Israel from work, a song of victory, singing and crying out: we will sing to You, the only Master.
Send a song, O Christ, help from above to Thy servant, may we bring praise from warm love, in the memory of Thy saint, to You, the Only Master.
Grace has multiplied, faith has prospered, and the army of saints has multiplied on the mountain of Pecherstya, who, even if they are a monk in life, will come to serve the One Christ and the Master.
From your youth, you devoted yourself to your parents, venerable monk, in the teaching of the Iconic Scripture, to which you diligently diligently wrote in your heart chastity and purity, as from both. You are a slave to your Master.
Your wondrous obedience to the miracle of the spectator showed, father, for you saw the image of the Lady, depicted not made by hands, and, from this vision, a greater love for the thought of God flared up, behold You prepared your heart, like a tablet, for writing the memory of Christ the Master.
Theotokos:
Tablet, having by the Holy Spirit written indescribably the Image of the Hypostasis of the Father, my wickedness, Mother Virgin, transform into the beauty of good deeds, so that from now on I will be prepared to serve Christ, my God ́ and the Lord.
Song 3.
Irmos:
There is nothing holy, like the Lord, and nothing is righteous, like our God, to Him all creation sings: There is nothing righteous, but you, O Lord.
Not like You in God, Christ, through the action of Your Most Holy Spirit You depicted the icon of Your Mother not made by hands, and a great miracle happened, to which the self-witness was Your venerable , Lord.
Just as your miracles worked, You will also fly from the lips of an icon not made by hands in the form of a dove, Having seen Him fly around inside the church, Your likeness, O Christ, is despised by everything and is nothing in the world. Love this more than You, Lord.
Having seen the image of the glory of God, Venerable Abiye, you changed the worldly image, having become a monk, kindly painting an image of virtue, even for us to imagine with your warm prayers.
From your iconic artistry, father, you have become accustomed to imagining spiritual workers, so having whitened the scroll of your heart with streams of tears, you wrote a thought in memory of God.
Theotokos:
Rejoice, switch, God-ignorant Virgin, on Her with the finger of God the Father’s Word was written, write on the sweat of my heart the memory of the Last Judgment, and with the coming torment keep her from evil Oh, I pray.
Sedalen, voice 4:
The glory of God, the viewer and doer of icons, is wise, whoever with us does not praise you with songs, reverend, you saw from the part of the sensual Holy Spirit, - now, the Most High Presto is coming lu, not in a mirror, but face to face, see the ever-present glory of God, which we too Let us partake, Father Alipie, of your prayers.
Glory, and now:
Representative of the Holy Trinity, appear to us soon, on this day, gathered in Thy most honorable temple, and grant the glory of Thy saints to see those who glorify Thee, the Virgin, with Thy prayers .
Song 4.
Irmos:
From the overshadowed mountain, the Word, prophet, the only Mother of God, desiring to be incarnate, behold Godlike, and with fear glorify Your power.
From the mountain you called after you the mother-in-law of your saint, Christ, who also rejected worldly rumors, with all my soul attached myself to you, and in my mind depicted your power.
Like a bright star, you have risen, Father, on the mountain of Pecherstya, for virtue is from you, like the rays, spreading, blessed, and illuminating you today, and we glorify your grace.
Not for the sake of bribes, but driven by zeal, you were diligent in your work, and for this reason you mercilessly distributed them to the churches of God for splendor, like everything, looking at your icons, in the love of God And they turn their hearts.
Thou art a good worker, O blessed one, of the grapes of Christ, as it is proper for thee to say with the apostle: I have not eaten the bread, for my hands have served me and in the same way I have received You are from God a dinar, and with your good servants the everlasting glory of Zrish.
Theotokos:
From the pure treasure of Your womb, Dinara, who revealed to the world, You have redeemed everyone from the original debt, Mother of God, I resort to You, redeem me from the mental lenders, so that everlasting glory I will show Your goodness.
Song 5.
Irmos:
In the morning, we cry out to You: Lord, save us, for You are our God, and You know no other.
Raise those who wake up with praise to You from despondency, Father, and from dark deeds to the light of God’s understanding, lift up our minds with Your prayers, for we know a hastener to help You soon.
Father, in honor of the One God, you withdrew your hand from work in the tripartite division: icon demand, monastic work and almsgiving to the poor, and thus you acquired the best, with but the desired paradise village.
You always spent the day with manual labor, and the night with vigil, prayer and worship, blessed one, and so, having laid your hand on your hand, you were guided into the Kingdom of God. There, remember us too with your intercession to God.
The sun has risen and you have seen your labors, holy ones, for you have dissolved humility, non-covetousness, purity, patience, fasting with love for everyone, and by this ascent you have ascended to the heights of the thought of God, and not You have been granted the gift of Godless.
Theotokos:
Utro, weapons, produced in the world of a great console, lit up and sourtsts, and showing the lumines of now, pray, the immersion of the child, you are of God's enlightenment and trust.
Song 6.
Irmos:
Give me a robe of light; dress in light, like a robe, O most merciful Christ our God.
Decorating the robe of an angelic image with balls of monastic labors, you ascended to the high degree of priesthood, with the advice of your mentor, and on that stood like a luminary, with the light of your many deeds about You are a luminary.
The robe of Baptism, which has stained me with sin, give me tenderness, O saints, through your prayers, so that in it I may appear before the face of God, sparkling and pure: I stand before you, singing songs of Your praise with mortal lips. ́mi.
Receive the garment of the priesthood, in the likeness of the Great Bishop, the Son of God, who, Father, entered into the inner veil to offer a sacrifice to Him who was sacrificed for the sin of the whole world, through your prayers with you now, like a sacrifice, and for us, saints, please propitiate the Creator.
Dressed in the garments of the priesthood, you have been vouchsafed greater gifts, for with your prayers you healed those clothed with leprosy, and with these you healed us, those who were mentally ill, we pray. , most blessed.
Theotokos:
Vulner those who have wounded us with the arrow of their love of sin, O Most Pure Virgin, and the demonic regiments will flee in the cold of defeat, for Thou art a demon, an incurable scab.
Kontakion, voice 2:
From youth, having the mark of the Divine within you, you were taught the Iconic Scripture; and sometimes the heavens, like the Mother of God, were written in the church, you helped there, and you saw the radiance of the Holy Spirit, from the Unworthy you received miracles, like your icons working miracles, Thus we honor and please you, wonderful Alipie.
Song 7.
Irmos:
The youths of the Jews in the cave boldly trampled the flame, and turned the fire into the dew, crying: Blessed are you, Lord God, forever.
Childishly playing with doubt in faith, the righteous execution of God is more comprehended: for his face was covered with leprosy, therefore you, father, healed him, and went away, saying: blessed be God our father.
To the one who confessed the sin of his unbelief, first of all you applied a plaster of repentance, O blessed one, and, having healed your soul, you healed your face with the anointing of your vats, and that one will sing about you: blessed be God ours.
Even though he had become sore at the first sight of sin, on the advice of the devil he despaired of hope for salvation. By this faith, by your teaching, turning to God, you were healed, and having gotten rid of both scabs, you cried out: Blessed be God our father.
To your reverend, marveling at the many miracles, we cry out in agreement: Rejoice, new Elisha, who healed the unbeliever of leprosy, like Naaman, and about you the song of youth was sung: bless He is God our father.
Theotokos:
Who will correct the ugliness of my soul, if not You, Mother of God, transform that face into beauty with the balls of Your goodness? And the splendor of the reception, I will sing: Rejoice, O Former of a picturesque human image.
Song 8.
Irmos:
Having been glorified on the mountain of saints, and in the bush with the fire of the Ever-Virgin Moses, sing and exalt the mystery of the Lord to all ages.
Reveal to you, Father, the Creator of all on the mountain of Caves, a tree that blooms well for healing, for you gave the fruits of your prayers to everyone who came to you, healing abundantly, and you will depart in good health, exalting God The Lord forever.
The kindness of your heart will not deprive you, O Reverend, of your great gifts, for you were never upset at those who insulted you, you repaid evil for evil, and thus glorify you Christ here and there in eyelids.
The love of money has been darkened by darkness before men, but God has made your righteousness known as light, and your kindness as the noonday, who have dug a pit for you into your neck, and Everyone remembers them forever.
You acted in the seventh gifts in the Trinity, the One God, You commanded to be depicted in the seventh icons not made by hands, and You revealed the saint, who has the seventh of Your Paraclete gifts, this Grant us too, O All-Generous King, that we may extol You forever.
Theotokos:
Having received from all the gifts the woven robe, the golden garments, you appeared to the Life-Giving Trinity. Become, therefore, lifting up Thy most pure hand, and pray for us, the goodness of the naked ones, for Thou art, Most Immaculate, covering our sins.
Song 9.
Irmos:
You, the Unartful Mother of the Most High God, You, who gave birth to the word of truly God, above the most pure Powers, more than the mind, we magnify with non-silent praises.
You, Father, who glorify, God glorify, for your writings and icons were never overcome by fire, but you remain unharmed from the fire, even those who have seen miracles, praise you endlessly We magnify Christ.
People flocked from everywhere to see the glorious miracle, as if everything else was consumed by a fiery flame, your writings of icons would not harm you in any way. We too, hearing God working miracles in you, magnify them with praise.
You kept kindness and saw righteousness, spending your life in every shrine, and from everywhere God glorified you and took you away from every adversity; sow and deliver us with your prayers, holy one, and let us magnify you with songs.
The city of Rostov rejoices, containing the icon, written by the passion of God, and as if with a valuable treasure it is redeemed from all passions, even kissingly, remembers how much God has acted in you, blessed no. Today we honor this miracle, we marvel and magnify it with praise.
Theotokos:
The pillar of the fortress belongs to You, Thy servants, Virgin Mother of God, from the face of our enemies we persecute, we resort to You, and fall, we pray: save us, in these troubles, for You are the pillar upon We are strong from the face of the enemy and the wall is insurmountable.
Luminous:
Always keep you, O Reverend, in your sorrows, come for you before your face, write an icon of the Mother of God, depict it in light at three o'clock, give it to the most pure temple for the holiday in splendor , you are destined to celebrate in the temple on high with the saints who have existed since the beginning. As you now celebrate with a voice of joy, remember us too, Alipie, most blessed Father.
Glory, and now:
The temple of existence, created by the right hand of the Most High, the temple of my soul, fallen by sin, arise, Mother of God, renew with Your visit, and give glory to You without laziness to those who bring You, unceasingly sing: Rejoice, Temple of the Lord, created for refuge by Christians.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
The Nazis, in order to prove their loyalty to Orthodoxy in the occupied territories and thereby arouse sympathy among the population, opened churches closed by the Bolsheviks. In the fall of 1941, services were resumed in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Agafya was in Kyiv when the war began. From here she was taken to Germany. She returned here from Germany. She settled in a ravine, behind the fence of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the hollow of a linden tree. Despite the unbearable living conditions, modestly dressed Agafya looked neat and clean. On frosty days she went into the Lavra to warm up. Some monks took pity on her and gave her bread, let her warm herself in the vestibule of her cells, others drove her away.
In 1947, Archimandrite Kronid (Sakun) became the rector of the Lavra. He knew about a woman living in a hollow behind the fence.
Father Kronid became Agafya's spiritual father and tonsured her into monasticism with the name Alipia. After tonsure, Archimandrite Kronid blessed nun Alypia to become a pillar, as a special form of monastic feat.
She lived for three years in the hollow of an old linden tree near the well of St. Theodosius of Pechersk. From morning until sunset, Blessed Alipia performed the work of a novice at the temple, returning to her refuge at night. After the death of Abbot Kronid, Schemamonk Damian became his spiritual mentor. The elder blessed her to go live in the corridor of the cells of the Lavra elders. In 1961, the Lavra was closed for 30 years under the pretext of restoration. Some of the monks moved to the Holy Ascension Church on Demeevka (Goloseevsky district of Kyiv). The blessed one followed them.
