Brief life of the saint
Righteous Filaret lived in the 8th century. in the village of Amnia, which is located in the Paphlagonian region (Asia Minor). The wife's name was Feozva. She came from a rich and noble family. She and her husband had a son, who was named John, as well as 2 daughters. Their names were Hypatia and Evanthia.
Despite the fact that he was a rich and noble nobleman, the man became famous because of his moral qualities. The righteous man was pious, God-fearing and poor-loving. The righteous man gave clothes to those who did not have them, and to those who came to him, he gave everything they needed. If a person asked a righteous man for something, he gladly gave it to him.
Somehow enemies attacked Paphlagonia. They mercilessly plundered the state. Filaret also suffered. Almost all his wealth was taken from him. The righteous man was left with only 2 oxen, a cow, several beehives and the house where the saint lived. All the estates that belonged to him were taken by neighboring farmers when they realized that Filaret had become impoverished and would not be able to cultivate his own arable land. All that remained was his father's house, where the family lived. But even after losing all his wealth, the man continued to help others. The wife and children were unhappy. Filaret always humbly endured the reproaches of his relatives.
The Creator rewarded Filaret for the mercy he showed to others. While the Byzantine landowner gave away his last measure of wheat to the needy, an old friend gave him 40 measures. At the same time, residents of neighboring villages gave him sheep. It was then that Empress Irina (797-802) chose a daughter-in-law for her son, Constantine Porphyrogenitus (780-797). One of Philaret’s granddaughters (her name was Maria) became the emperor’s wife. She amazed everyone with her inherent kindness and modesty.
The emperor generously rewarded the righteous man. Thanks to this, he became even more famous and richer. But such a turn of fate did not change the character of the monk. He still gave alms. The righteous man also arranged meals for the poor. During them, he himself served the invited poor people.
Filaret ordered to make 3 boxes. He put gold, silver and copper coins into each of them. He gave gold to the poor, silver to those who had lost their means, and copper to those people who could provide for themselves but hypocritically begged for money. He lived avoiding fame and surprised people with his humility and love of poverty.
Filaret died at the age of 90. Anticipating his own death, the righteous man went to the Rodolphe Monastery of Constantinople. While there, he gave everything he had with him to the needs of the monastery and the poor. Then Filaret called his relatives. Dying, he called for people to be poor and non-covetous. The righteous man passed away in 792. He was buried in the monastery of the Court of Rodolphus, which is located in Constantinople.
The holiness of the deceased was confirmed by a miracle that happened during the funeral. When the body of the righteous man was carried to the burial place, the man who was possessed by a demon grabbed the coffin and walked with the funeral procession. At the cemetery, the demoniac was healed. Many miracles happened at Philaret’s tomb.
After the death of the righteous man, his wife Theozva tried to follow her husband’s instructions. She worked hard, reviving monasteries and temples in Paphlagonia that had been damaged during attacks by enemies of the empire.
Reverence
The veneration of Philaret the Merciful began soon after the end of his earthly journey. The first life was written in the 9th century. Currently, churches in many Orthodox countries are dedicated to him. The largest of them is located in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.
Filaret the Merciful enjoys the greatest respect in the Russian Orthodox Church. In honor of the gracious Byzantine, churches were consecrated in the following localities:
- in the village of Semenovskoye (church in the refectory building of the Spaso-Borodinsky Monastery);
- in Sergiev Posad (church in the bishop’s chambers in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra);
- in Ulyanovsk.
In the Russian capital there are 2 churches in honor of St. Philaret the Merciful. They are located at the Ermakovsky almshouse and the Filaretovsky Diocesan Women's School.
Church of St. Philaret the Merciful in Moscow
Also in Russia there are churches in which there are small boundaries in honor of the holy man. These include the following religious buildings:
- Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra;
- the temple of Sergius and Nikon of Radonezh in the Gethsemane monastery;
- Church of the Resurrection of the Word in the village of Vasilkovskoye, Stupinsky district.
The day of remembrance of Blessed Philaret is the 1st day of December.
Texts of Orthodox prayers to Philaret the Merciful
Saint Philaret responds to the prayers of those who ask him for something, so many people turn to him. But it should be remembered that a person receives only what is actually necessary and useful.
About money and well-being
Oh, most wonderfully chosen one of God, the Merciful Filarete! Amnia, generous bread-giver, lamp of Orthodoxy, good and faithful servant of the Lord God! You followed Christ in the Gospel with all your heart and multiplied the talent given to you in wisdom: clothing and feeding the orphans and the needy; He brought strangers and beggars into his home, comforted those in their sorrows and sorrows, consigned the dead to their graves on their heaps; Having served everyone in every possible way, you showed your faith in your deeds. Hey, holy servant of God, do not despise us, languishing with the sorrows of life and overcome by sinful passions. All the days, despondency and cowardice shake our faith, hard-heartedness and bitterness devour our hearts and cool our love; ambition and impatience corrupt our souls, and so, like beggars, we engage in good deeds in common. But You, Righteous Father, having mercy on us, beg Christ God to enrich our hearts with His Holy Spirit, heal our mental and physical ailments, and, like a thirsty field, water us with the bounties of His love for mankind; May we imitate your faith, patience and mercy, in piety and purity, all the days of our lives. We also pray to you, most blessed one, when the departure of our life is ripe, move us to unfeigned repentance, so that we may partake of Christ our Savior through His holy Sacraments and become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, where in the joy of the saints and angels we will be honored and we will worship and chant the Trisagion Name: the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen!
About a daughter's successful marriage
O holy servant of God, righteous Philaret! Having fought a good fight on earth, you have received in Heaven the crown of righteousness, which the Lord has prepared for all who love Him. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring them to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us against the wiles of the devil, so that, having been delivered from sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, we will live piously and righteously in the present We will be worthy through your intercession, even though we are unworthy, to see good on the land of the living, glorifying the One in His saints, the glorified God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
From poverty
Holy God and rest in the saints, glorified by the angels with a thrice-holy voice in heaven, praised on earth by man in His saints, giving grace to each by Your Holy Spirit according to the bestowal of Christ, and by that ordaining to the Church of Your Holy Ones apostles, prophets, and evangelists , you are shepherds and teachers, whose word of sermon, to You who acts all in all, has accomplished many saints in every generation and generation, with various benefactors pleasing You, and to You, having left us the image of your good deeds, having passed away in joy, prepare, in it You yourself were tempted to help us who are being attacked. Remembering all these saints and the holy righteous Philaret and praising their godly lives, I praise You Samago, who acted in them, and believing in Your goodness, I diligently pray to You, Holy of Holies, grant me a sinner to follow their teaching, life, love, faith , longsuffering, and their prayerful help, and moreover Your all-effective grace, the heavenly ones with them will be honored with glory, praising Your Most Holy Name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
About strengthening faith
To you, about all holiness and holy righteous Philaret, as guiding lamps, with your deeds illuminating the path of the heavenly sunrise, I, a great sinner, humbly bow the knee of my heart and from the depths of my soul I cry: beg for me, the Lover of Mankind, God, that he will not allow me to wander further along the paths of sin. , but may my mind and heart be enlightened by the light of His grace, as if we illuminate and strengthen it, I will be able to continue the rest of my earthly life on the right path without stumbling and through your intercession to the Most Good Lord I will be honored, for a little while partaker of your spiritual meal in the heavenly throne of the King of glory. To Him, with His Beginningless Father and the Most Holy, Good and Life-Giving Spirit, be glory, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen.
Thank you note
Oh, blessed saints of God, all the saints who stand before the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity and enjoy indescribable bliss! Behold, now, on the day of your common triumph, mercifully look upon us, the least of your brethren, who bring you this song of praise, and through your intercession asking for mercy and remission of sins from the Most Blessed Lord; We know, we truly know, that whatever you desire, you can ask Him for. Therefore, we humbly pray to you, and to the holy righteous Philaret, pray to the Merciful Master, that he may give us the spirit of your zeal for keeping His holy commandments, so that, following in your footsteps, we will be able to pass through the earthly field in a virtuous life without vice, and in repentance to achieve the glorious villages of paradise, and there together with you glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen!
How to pray correctly
You should pray to the saint whose memory falls on this day, as well as to your own Heavenly patron, whose name the person bears. But you can also pray to the saint whom a person especially reveres. Therefore, those who feel the need to turn to him can pray to Philaret.
People usually pray to those saints who during their lifetime faced the same problems that they are experiencing now. They draw this information from the lives of saints.
Believers should take into account the fact that one cannot pray to harm another person. One cannot ask for this, even if he himself does evil. One can only ask the Creator or the saints to take the right path.
The saints prayed constantly, but people living in the world constantly think about everyday life, so they are not allowed to do the same. Priests recommend praying after waking up and before going to bed, as well as before eating and before starting to do something.
You should pray standing or kneeling in front of the icon, and you should also cross your arms across your chest. Having finished the prayer, you should bow and make the sign of the cross.
In what cases do they pray to Philaret of Moscow?
During the life of the saint, his prayers had miraculous power. One day, a deacon whose daughter was seriously ill came to the metropolitan. Through the prayers of the saint, she miraculously recovered. And this is just one of many similar cases of miraculous recovery.
The prayer of Philaret of Moscow for every day is especially popular among Orthodox believers. It is read in order to thank the Almighty for everything. It does not contain requests for various benefits, because the Lord knows better than us what we need at one time or another in life.
Philaret of Moscow is prayed to in the following cases:
- in mental and physical illnesses;
- if it is impossible to find your path in life;
- if you wish to repent of your sins.
