Andrew for Christ's sake, the holy fool: see and tell
Everything we know, someone else knows. And he knows better than us.
The secrets that are revealed to us are revealed through someone.
Many people know that the Mother of God prays for the whole world and especially for those who love Her Son. This prayerful intercession and compassionate intervention in the destinies of the world is called the Intercession. We dedicate a separate holiday to it, although the Intercession occurs and occurs, and therefore is worthy of celebration, every day.
It was necessary for the Church to choose some single case that would become a symbol of all the miracles performed for our good by the Mother of God. This case exists, and it is connected with a person to whom more is open and who sees more deeply. Without talking about it, it is impossible to talk about the origin of the holiday.
His name is Andrey. Andrey, for Christ's sake, is a holy fool.
***
“Crazy” is how the word “holy fool” is translated. The appearance, behavior and attitude towards such people on the part of society were appropriate, since the most important addition - “for Christ's sake” - was not spoken out loud and was not attached to the badge on clothing.
He is crazy, and he is crazy, and saliva runs down his beard, and his eyes are crazy, and his speech is strange. They try to stay away from such people; if they become violent, they are forcibly treated.
Outwardly, Andrei was just like that, but behind the façade of voluntary madness he performed intelligent and incessant work - prayer.
It is difficult to talk about saints. There is always the threat of hitting a high note and breaking into falsetto. Is it really a feat to sit in the mud and praise an eagle?
And you can only speak if you understand something. And it is as difficult for an ordinary sinner to understand the saints as it is difficult for a fish to understand a bird. They are very different, even though they were created on the same day (See Gen. 1:20).
A man without legs is more respectable in the eyes of society than a madman. You need special reasons to feign madness. Here David feigned madness in the court of the king of Gath to save his life (1 Samuel 21:13-15).
Andrei acted like a fool in order to hide his closeness to the heavenly world, in order to comfortably perform prayer, without being either praised for his holiness or aggravated by requests from believers.
Of all the relationships with the world, the holy fool has only contempt and reproach. This is what he is looking for. In his desire to be satisfied with humiliation and ridicule, he is higher than the martyrs. A martyr can denounce his tormentors, saying: you are fools and believe falsely, but I, like Paul, speak to you “words of truth and common sense” (Acts 26:25). The holy fool cannot say this. On the contrary, anyone can tell him: “You are crazy,” and he will only smile stupidly, or pull out some kind of trick.
Madness is voluntary, feigned, but so skillful that it cannot be distinguished from real madness; it is a special type of protection of treasures. By treasure we mean prayer. She has to be protected from praise, from vanity, from the inevitable connection with the world and society, even if Christian, but still obsessed with passions.
It is obvious that the fervor of prayer, which needs such protection, must be extraordinary. That is, the treasure must be genuine, without impurities.
Foolishness is not a way of acquiring prayer, but rather a way of preserving prayer. And also a way of serving.
You can think and say: “Since you are so holy and pray so fieryly inside your heart, then go to the desert or to the mountain and live your unusual life there. Why do you crowd around the market, sleep on the porch, or, causing a loud squeal, go into the women’s bathhouse for a beating?”
The fact is that the holy fool lives in the world for the sake of this same world. He no longer runs away from the world, afraid of being tempted by something, but deliberately remains in the midst of it, so that the prayer that is in the holy fool warms the world, blind to spiritual events.
We say all this and discuss all this, remembering what was said above: a fish will not understand a bird. Can a fish with cold blood and a cold heart understand how the hot heart beats in the chest of a seagull soaring in the wind? At best, the fish sees this seagull through the thickness of the water, from bottom to top, “as through glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12).
So, Andrey is a bird. He “sows not, neither reaps, nor gathers into barns” (Matthew 6:26). God feeds him, and with such manna that makes us remember the Apocalypse: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone” (Rev. 2:17). Andrey sees what everyone else doesn’t see. He sees demons, which he greatly annoys with his lifestyle. Sees Angels protecting him. Sees saints and communicates with them. Finally, he sees the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. This vision gave rise to the holiday.
***
Everything else is more or less known to a wide range of readers. The vision occurred in the temple during prayer. Just as Seraphim of Sarov later saw Christ at the Liturgy surrounded by angelic forces, so Andrei saw the Mother of God walking through the air surrounded by saints. Andrei heard the prayer of the Mother of God, asking the Son to accept the prayers and requests of every person who comes for help through Her, the Mother of God.
Nobody except Andrey saw this. Everyone prayed and looked towards the altar. One holy fool raised his head and looked at something on the dome or on the walls. That's how it seemed then.
Then he told about his vision. After all, it did not concern him alone, but the entire people! The people listened and did not laugh, but, like the Mother of God, they remembered everything, “composing it in their hearts” (See Luke 2:19).
Not every phenomenon or vision turns into a holiday. You never know who the celestials appeared to and who they saved from what?! In order for this to be celebrated and not forgotten for centuries, it is necessary for the church consciousness to see in the particular the general, and in an individual case the manifestation of the rule.
The rule of the current holiday sounds like this: The Mother of God, having been taken to the glory of Her Son, does not enjoy Heavenly Paradise, but constantly prays for peace while visiting this world.
The fruits of this prayer are known to millions of people, since millions at different times have been blessed by the intercession of the Mother of God. It is these millions of individual cases that are brought together under the name “Protection” in order to honor with one holiday the never-ending and never-silencing prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In a similar way, the miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh is valuable not only as an isolated fact, but also as a manifestation of that good participation in the history of mankind that is performed by pure spirits faithful to the Lord.
***
Andrey saw it and told others. And others, including us, responded with their hearts to the word they heard. We knew before that “love never ceases” (1 Cor. 13:8), and since the Mother of God is the Mother of true Love, then Her love is endless.
We knew how much and often She helps the Church and, in general, everyone who asks Her for help. And thanks to Andrey, as if through his eyes, we saw this personified Veil.
They saw it and were happy.
We saw and warmed up.
They saw it and were hopeful.
What happened then continues to this day. The gracious Mary prays to her Son for people. Angels, prophets, apostles and martyrs participate with Her in prayer. This prayer service is seen by the chosen servants of God who continue their earthly path.
And all the rest, who do not have spiritual vision, but whose heart is circumcised, that is, receptive to the truth, on the day of the holiday sing: “We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, for Saint Andrew saw You in the air, praying for us to Christ.”
Blessed Andrew of Tsaregrad (X century)
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.
One day, at a slave auction, a wealthy resident of Constantinople named Theognostus bought a young Slavic slave. The young man stood out among other slaves for his intelligence, honesty and good disposition, so very soon the owner made him his trusted servant and sent him to theological school. This young man was Andrei, whom the Church would later glorify as blessed.
Andrei made the decision to undertake the feat of foolishness after a special revelation from God received in a dream. The next morning, after praying, he took a knife and went to the well, where he took off all his clothes and cut them into shreds. The servants who came to fetch water saw him doing this and reported his strange behavior to the owner. He was very upset, he himself went to Andrei and “...found him as if he did not understand and spoke unreasonably,” as it is said in the life of the saint. Theognostus decided that his beloved servant had gone mad or become possessed. He continued to keep it with him, hoping that Andrei would recover. But he was not sick at all: at night he secretly prayed, and during the day he pretended to be crazy. Four months later, the owner let him go, and Andrei became the city's holy fool.
He walked through the city...suffering shortcomings, sorrows, bitterness... (Hebrews 11:37). Some mocked him as if he were crazy, others drove him away from them, disdaining him as a stinking tramp, some considered him possessed by a demon, and the capital's teenagers often beat the holy fool. He prayed at night for all his daytime offenders.
If someone gave Andrey alms, he accepted it, but immediately gave it to other beggars. However, he did it so that no one knew that he was giving alms; angry with the beggars and as if wanting to beat them, he threw money in their faces, and the beggars picked them up. Sometimes he ate nothing for three days, sometimes he went hungry for a whole week, and if there was no one to give him a loaf of bread, then he spent the second week without food. Andrei's clothing was worthless rags that barely covered his body. Like Saint Simeon of Emesa in everything, he ran through the streets during the day and acted like a fool, and at night he remained in prayer.
Very few residents of the capital saw a saint in this strange man. For some, his insight was revealed through exposure of secret sins. So, Andrei once tried to stop a grave-digger who was going to rob another grave. Having described the crime he was preparing, the holy fool said that if the thief commits it, he will go blind. He laughed in response and said that now he would deliberately go “to the point” in order to verify the truth of Andrei’s words. That same night, he dug up the grave of a recently buried rich girl, tried to remove jewelry and clothes from the deceased, and became blind. The unlucky thief spent the rest of his life begging for alms on the church porch, remembering the warning of St. Andrew and cursing himself for his frivolous attitude towards him.
He also denounced people of clergy. One monk was highly respected by the residents of the capital. People gave him significant sums to distribute to the poor, but the monk appropriated the money for himself. Andrei saw with spiritual vision how his guardian angel first argued with the demon for the soul of this monk, and then walked away from his ward. The holy fool grabbed the thieving monk by the hand and began to beg him to distribute everything he had collected to the poor. Through Andrei’s prayer, he himself was able to see the demon that had possessed him and was horrified by this sight. The saint promised to pray for him if the monk stopped embezzling other people's money. “...After that the monk went and distributed all his gold to the poor and was subsequently glorified even more by God and people; many brought gold to him so that he would distribute it to the poor. But he ordered the donors to distribute it with their own hands, saying:
“What good is it for me to take care of someone else’s trash?”
But the most striking facts of Andrei’s spiritual life became known after his death. In Constantinople there were only two people with whom the saint communicated without acting like a fool. One of them, his friend Nikifor, compiled his detailed life from the stories of the blessed one. And another, his disciple Epiphanius, who also took upon himself the feat of foolishness, was honored, together with Andrei, to see the Most Holy Theotokos in the Blachernae Church, holding her omophorion over the praying people. This incident served as the basis for one of the greatest church holidays - the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Therefore, the master began to entrust him with secretarial duties. He performed this work with all diligence and care, for which he was loved by the master and lady and all the members of the household.
Theognostus showed him great honor and presented him with his clothes, for he saw how diligently he took care of his property, so that those who saw him used to say: “The slave is dressed better than his master.”
He often went to churches and loved to read sacred books, especially the torment of the saints and the lives of the holy fathers, and his heart burned with the desire to become like them. And in his soul he decided to start a righteous life. Thus he began to serve God.
One night he got out of bed to pray, following the one who said: “At midnight I got up to confess to You.” Hating his good intentions, the evil Devil arrived and began loudly knocking on the doors of the house where the young man was. Greatly frightened, the young man interrupted his prayer and hurriedly went to bed and covered himself with his goatskin. Seeing this. Satan rejoiced and said, as if to his brother: “Look at this one. Recently I ate a meager stew, and now I’m getting ready to fight us.” And having said this, he disappeared.
After such a fright, the blessed one fell soundly asleep. In a dream, he saw that he was in some kind of theater. And on one side there was a huge crowd of Ethiopians, and on the other side there were a lot of Belorians and other holy men. And between both sides there is a dispute about a race in running and wrestling. The Ethiopians, having a certain black giant on their side, ask the assembled Belorians if there is anyone among them who would compete in a race or enter into single combat with this black one. For, they said, he fought with many and no one anywhere could resist him. For it was a thousandth of the unfed satanic legion.
And while they were boasting like that, and the blessed one stood there and listened, and the Belorizians did not know what to answer, a beautiful young man descended from a height, holding three crowns in his hand. One of them was decorated with pure gold and precious stones, and the second shone with large expensive pearls, and the third, the largest, was woven from all kinds of red and white flowers and the unfading branches of God's paradise. They emitted such a fragrance that the human mind is unable to express.
Seeing this, Andrei began to grieve and worry about how he could get at least one of these crowns. And, approaching the one who was in the guise of a young man, he said to him: “For Christ’s sake, are you selling them? If I cannot buy them, wait a little, I will go to my master and he will give you as much gold as you want.”
The young man answered him with a smile: “Believe me, my dear, that even if you bring me the gold of the whole world, I will not give you a single one of these flowers - neither you, nor anyone else, nor your imaginary master. For these crowns do not belong to this vain world, as you think, these are the crowns of Christ from the heavenly treasuries, with which those who defeat these blacks are crowned. And if you want to get not only one, but all three, then go and fight this black Ethiopian. And if you defeat him, then not only these, but also others, better than these, that you wish, you will receive from me.”
Hearing this, Andrei was inspired and said to him: “Believe me, I will do as you said. Just teach me his tricks."
And the young man said to him: “Aren’t you familiar with his tricks? After all, the formidable and terrible Ethiopians are weak. Do not be afraid of his enormous height and terrible appearance. He is like a rotten plant, rotten and weak.”
Having strengthened the young man with such words, the beautiful young man grabbed him, as if intending to fight him, and began to teach him how to resist the Ethiopian. And he said in his ear: “When he grabs you and begins to spin you around - for I know this - do not be afraid, but hook his leg - and you will see the glory of God.”
And he immediately went out of the blessed to the fight and shouted in a loud voice: "Come here, black -haired, we will fight you!" The Ethiopian approached, snuffling and wheezing menacingly, grabbed Andrei and began to circle him and circled him for a long time. And the Ethiopians began to clap their hands, and the Belorizians turned pale, thinking that the black one would now hit him on the ground, so that his eyes would pop out, and Andrei, circling around the Ethiopian, contrivedly caught his leg. And the demon, falling, hit his forehead on a stone and began to scream.
The Belarusians rejoiced and clapped their hands. And, lifting the righteous man into their arms, they began to kiss his face, anointing him with spiritual oil. Then all the blacks dispersed, disgraced. And the beautiful young man gave him honorable crowns and, kissing him, said: “Go with goodness. From now on you are our friend and brother. Strive for a good deed, be naked and a fool for my sake, and you will be rewarded with great good on the day of my kingdom.”
Hearing this, the blessed one woke up from this deep sleep and marveled at what happened to him, because he felt the incense on his lips; and his face was fragrant as if with a divine fragrance, the source of which was invisible.
The next morning he came to me unworthy and, having made up his mind, told me about the vision he had. And after listening to him, I marveled at his vision. After consulting, we decided that from now on he needed to be transformed and present himself as insane and possessed for the sake of the one who told him: “Be a fool for my sake and you will be rewarded with great good on the day of my kingdom.”
Otherwise, he could not have left his earthly master, for no one wants to set their slave free, especially for God’s work, for the devil zealously tries to prevent this.
The next night, rising at midnight, Andrei prayed and, having finished the prayer, took a knife and went to the well, which was near his master’s bedroom. And taking off the clothes that he was wearing, he began to cut them into pieces. And pretending to be possessed, he began to utter incoherent speeches and mutter senselessly, as crazy people do.
His owner, waking up, marveled at all this, especially since it was midnight. But on reflection, I decided that it was the well spirit that crawled out of the well and breathed on the first person he met, and it turned out to be Andrei. And he remained silent until the morning.
At dawn the cook went to get water and, when he saw what happened to Andrei, was surprised. Leaving the bucket, he went and told the owner, who was singing at Matins. Hearing this, the owner was surprised that Andrei, as the cook said, had fallen into madness and, having torn his clothes, was sitting at the mouth of the well. He went out with his wife and all the household members, and when they saw him in madness, they wept bitterly and lamented, thinking that he had really become a victim of an unclean spirit. His master was very saddened by this misfortune and, not knowing how to help him, ordered him to be taken to the church of the Holy Martyr Anastasia, which was built by the blessed Leo the Butcher, and there to put him in chains, and sent many pieces of silver to the church minister for his maintenance and feeding.
All day long the righteous man seemed crazy and talked like a holy fool. And at night he cried with all his heart, bowing and praying to the Martyr of Christ that she would appear to him and, if he was worthy, would tell him whether the feat he had begun was acceptable.
When he stopped crying and praying, he soon saw five wives come in visible form and with them in front a venerable old man. They began to go around the patients lying there, visiting one after another. Having passed everyone, they approached Andrei, the elder stopped first, and the holy women stood next to him. Looking at him intently, the elder smiled tenderly at him, planning something good. And he said, as if jokingly, turning to the fifth wife, who shone brightest of all: “Mrs. Anastasia, why aren’t you doing medicine here?”
She answered him: “Mr. Teacher, there was another healer here, and he doesn’t need anyone else. For he said to him: “Be a fool for my sake and you will gain much good on the day of my kingdom.” And after such a doctor he does not need healing. He has already learned this craft and will not leave it until his last breath, and he will be a vessel chosen by God, holy and beloved by the Spirit.”
The elder said: “I knew this, lady, and only asked you jokingly.”
So they spoke in the presence of Andrei, then, leaving him in peace, they went inside the church to worship. And after that he did not see any of them either leaving or entering until the attendant knocked on the beater. Amazed by what he saw, the monk glorified God and thanked the holy martyr for hastening to his prayer.
He sat in chains all day, not eating and uttering obscene words. When night came and he, having waited until midnight, as usual, began to pray in the secret temple of his heart, offering prayers and supplications to God and the holy martyr, the devil came to him in the flesh with many demons, holding an ax, and the demons carried knives, clubs, stakes, swords, spears and chains. This was a thousand-strong demonic army, and therefore many demons came with him to destroy the blessed one.
And from afar the rotten old man roared (for he appeared in the form of an old devil) and rushed at the saint, intending to kill him with the ax he was holding in his hands. And all the demons that were with him rushed at him, wanting to kill him. He raised his hands and cried out to the Lord with tears: “Do not betray my soul, which believes in you, to the beasts!” And he also said: “Holy Apostle John the Theologian, help me!”
And immediately there was thunder, as if in the heavens, and the screams of many people. And an old man with big eyes, slightly bald, with a face shining brighter than the sun, appeared, and with him a large retinue. And he said menacingly to those who came with him: “Close the gates so that no one can escape.” And those who were more numerous than the demons immediately did this. And when all the demons were caught, one of them secretly said to the other: “Cursed be the hour when we were tempted to do this. For John is severe and intends to punish us severely.”
The honest old man ordered his companions to remove the iron chain from Andrei’s neck. And, leaving the church gates, he said: “Lead them to me one by one.” And they brought the first one and spread him out on the ground. And the apostle, taking an iron chain, folded it in three and struck him a hundred times. And the demon screamed like a man: “Have mercy on me!”
Then they spread out another demon on the ground, and he was beaten in the same way.
Hearing them screaming “Have mercy on us!”, Andrei involuntarily began to laugh. It seemed to him that the Ethiopians, like people, were caught and really beaten. They also stretched out the third one, and he suffered the same amount. For God dealt them serious blows, sensitive to their nature. Beating them all in turn, the beaters said to those beaten and released: “Go and show yourself to your father Satan, will he like it?”
And when they dispersed, all the Belarusians disappeared. The handsome old man came to the servant of God and, placing shackles on his neck, said jokingly: “You see how I hastened to your aid. For I am very concerned about you, because God commanded me to look after you and take care of what most serves your salvation. Endure this, and you will be tempted in everything. For the hour will soon come when you will be released and will be able to walk freely wherever you please.”
Andrew asked: “Who are you, my lord? I do not know you".
The elder replied: “I am the one who reclined on the honest and life-giving chest of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And having said this, he disappeared from sight, as if turning into lightning.
Blessed Andrew marveled and fervently glorified the mercy of God, who helped him in words and deeds, who delivered him from the evil spirits that had taken up arms against him. And he said to himself: “Lord Jesus Christ, great and incomprehensible is your power and boundless mercy, since you are kind to me, humble and care for me, showing me a wondrous miracle. Keep me further on the path of your truth and make me worthy to receive your grace. Most High, great power, formidable, do not leave us.”
While he was praying, night fell, and dozing off, he saw himself in a dream in the royal chambers. While he was there, the king called him to him. And when he came and stood before him, the king asked him: “Do you want to work for me with all your soul, and I will make you one of the revered in my chambers?” Andrei replied: “Who refuses the good? I would really like that."
The king said: “If you want, take the food of my service.” And with these words he handed him something that looked like snow. Taking it, Andrey ate it. It was so sweet that the human mind cannot compare such sweetness with anything. But it was not enough, and after eating, Andrei began to silently pray that they would give him more of the same. “For,” he said, “when I ate, it seemed to me that this sweetness was comparable to the peace of God.”
And again he gave him a small piece of something similar to kidonat. And he said to him: “Take it and eat it.” Andrey took it and ate it. It was hot and bitter, bitterer than wormwood, so that the previous sweet good food also became disgusting to him.
The king, seeing his disgust, said to him: “Do you see how you could not accept this bitter taste, which means serving me? The food that I have given you is a narrow and sorrowful path that leads those who want to enter the gates of my kingdom.”
The blessed one said: “This food is bitter, sir. Who is able to eat it and serve you?
The king answered: “You understood the meaning of bitter, but did you understand sweet? Didn’t I give you first the sweet and then the bitter?”
He said: “Yes, sir. But you only told your servant about bitter things, that this is an image of a sorrowful path.”
The king said: “No, the path lies in the middle between sweet and bitter. And in the bitter there is embodied a taste of the torment and suffering that you will have to endure for my sake, and in the sweet and best, coolness, peace and consolation are found for those who suffer for my sake. From my grace comes not only bitter or only sweet, but sometimes one, sometimes the other, alternating and alternating. And if you want to work for me, tell me so that I know.”
Andrey said: “Let me taste the same thing again, I’ll try and tell you.” And he again gave him the bitter, and then the sweet. Suffering from bitterness, Andrei said: “I cannot serve you by feeding on this. This food is bitter and heavy.”
The king smiled and took out from his bosom something else, which looked like fire, emanating a fragrance and decorated with flowers. And he said to him: “Take it, eat it and forget everything you saw and heard.” He took it, tasted it and stood for a long time in oblivion from this sweetness and from great joy and from the great fragrance and glory. And having come to his senses, he fell at the feet of that great king and prayed with the words: “Have mercy on me, good lord, and do not cast me away from serving you from now on. For I have truly realized that the path of your service is very sweet, and outside of it I will not bow my head to anyone.”
And he answered him: “Did this meal surprise you? Believe me, this is the least of my goods. But if you calm me down, everything I have will be yours and you will be my friend and partake of my holy kingdom and you will be my heir.” And having said this, it was as if he had been sent to a heroic deed. And immediately Andrei woke up.
The blessed one kept all this in his heart and marveled, saying: “What could this be?”
After four months of his stay in the church of St. Anastasia, the church servants, seeing that he was not recovering, but, on the contrary, he was getting worse, reported him to his master. Hearing this, Theognostus rejected him as if he were insane and possessed by a demon, and ordered him to remove his shackles and set him free. And having removed his shackles, the church ministers released him. Seeing that what he had planned was coming true, Andrei glorified God, who arranged it so that his will would come true.
The beginning of the life of Andrei Yurodivy
From that time on, he began to run and frolic in the streets, following the example of his predecessor Simeon the Holy Fool, and wandered all day long without food or rest. When evening came, he either did not sleep, if he did not want to sleep, but walked along the city streets and prayed in his soul, and so he stayed awake all night, and slept the next morning; or, when he did not feel like walking in the night, he looked for a place on the street where the dogs were lying, and, having driven the dog away, he lay down in his place and rested as if on a bed - naked, wretched, poor, having neither matting nor clothes, not a hair shirt or even a piece of cloth. Instead of all this, as was said before, he had on himself only a piece of cloth, and he walked in it.
Getting up in the morning, he said to himself: “Well, despicable holy fool Andrei, the dog slept with the dogs all night in the wild. Let us continue to work, for death is approaching. And let no one tempt you, for in the hour of death no one will help you. For each person receives the fruit of his labor at the hour of the end of this life. Let us go quickly, unfortunate one, mocked by people in this world, and we will receive praise and glory from the heavenly King and God.”
Saying this, the honest man, according to the words of the great Apostle Paul, sought to stretch forward, forgetting what is behind. Looking at him, people said: “Here is a new demoniac.” Others said: “The earth is not worthwhile without a holy fool.” And others pushed him and beat him in the neck, and spat in his face with contempt.
Patiently enduring all this, hungry, thirsty, dying of cold, scorched by heat and enduring insults, he remained invulnerable. And he carried such a prayer in the secret temple of his heart that when he whispered it, it could be heard far away. And just as thick steam comes out of a seething cauldron when boiling violently, so from his mouth came the steam of the Holy Spirit, so that some who saw him said: “This is the demon sitting in him, it is he who spews out this steam.” And others said: “No, it is his heart, angry from the presence of a demonic spirit, that breathes.” But this was not so, this was unceasing, godly prayer. So, just as previously the ignorant considered anyone who spoke a different language to be drunk, so here they thought about this glorious thing.
About harlots
One day he walked past a whorehouse while playing. One of the harlots, seeing the holy fool, grabbed him by the edge of the old clothes he was wearing and dragged him inside. The true mocker of Satan yielded and entered with her. And when he entered the whorehouse, other harlots gathered around him and, laughing at him, asked: “How did this happen to you?” The righteous man only grinned, without answering. Pushing him, they tried to force him to commit nasty fornication, caressing his secret parts. Others, kissing, tempted the chaste, trying to persuade him to shame. Others said: “Fornicate with us, holy fool, and satisfy your spiritual lust.”
But he showed a wondrous miracle. Plunging him into such a strong temptation, they were not at all able to induce him to desire this stinking illness.
Then they abandoned their intentions with the words: “Either he is a dead man, or an insensitive log, or a lying stone: no matter how much we inflame him with lust, nothing comes of it.”
One of them said: “I am surprised at your foolishness and indignation. After all, he is a holy fool and possessed, hungry and cold, and there is nowhere for him to lay his head - where does his lust come from? Leave him alone and let him go crazy."
The righteous man saw a prodigal demon standing among the harlots; in appearance he looked like an Ethiopian, with a big mouth, and instead of hair on his head, he had horse dung mixed with ash. And his eyes were like those of a fox; old rags covered his shoulders. And such a fetid smell of sewage emanated from him that, unable to bear this heavy stench, the blessed one began to spit frequently and covered his nose with his clothes.
Seeing that Andrei abhorred fornication, the prodigal demon became enraged and screamed: “People cherish me like sweet honey in their hearts, but this one mocks the whole world, disdains me, spits on me. But did you yourself become a holy fool for a good purpose, and not in order to thus evade earthly labors?
The blessed one saw him in reality, but the harlots only heard the voice of the demon, but did not see anyone. Sitting among them, the blessed one laughed at the stinking and ugly demon. When they saw him laughing, they said, “Look how he laughs with his demon.” And one of them said: “He has good clothes. Let’s take it and sell it, and we’ll have something to drink today.” Getting up quickly. They stripped him, leaving him naked, and sold his clothes for pieces of silver and divided them, each getting two coppers.
The eldest said to the others: “Let’s not let him go naked, but give him at least some old matting.” They brought matting and, having made a slit in the middle of it, placed it on his neck instead of clothing and drove him out of the house.
And going out into the street, he began to run, acting like a fool. Those who saw him, laughing at him, said: “A good blanket lies on your donkey, holy fool.” He answered: “Truly you are the holy fools, I wear good clothes. For my Lord has made me a patrician.”
Some lovers of Christ themselves gave him coppers, although he did not ask. For Christ cared for him. And no matter how much they gave him, he accepted. Sometimes it was up to twenty, sometimes thirty or more coppers a day. And he looked out for a secluded place where the beggars were gathering, and walked towards them with coppers in his hands, pretending to be blissful so that they would not guess his plan, and, sitting down, began to play with the coppers. And when one of the beggars tried to take them away from him, he slapped him. Seeing this, the rest of the beggars came at him with sticks, wanting to avenge their comrade. Using this as a reason to escape, throwing away the coppers, he ran away from them. Then they appropriated his coppers.
Vision of a rich dead man
One day, when Andrei was going to his spiritual work, having walked away a little, he saw in the distance how a dead man was being carried towards him. He was a noble, very rich man.
A great crowd of people followed the coffin. Loud singing of those walking with many candles and censers was heard. Wailings and loud cries came from his loved ones.
Seeing what was happening above the dead man, the saint stopped and fell into oblivion for a long time. And I saw: in front of the candles there were many black demons, shouting, drowning out the singers: “Woe to him! Woe to him! And everything that they burned incense reeked of sewage, and they carried some bags and scattered ashes and ash alternately. And all this multitude, dancing as they walked and laughing brazenly, like shameless harlots, now barked like a dog, now squealed like a pig. And for them the dead man was a subject of fun and joy. And some of them walked next to the body, sprinkling the face of the deceased with sewage and slurry, while others, flying through the air, hovered around the bed.
An unbearable stench emanated from the bed and from the body of that sinner, as happens when they clear out latrines and splash slurry around and scatter stinking sewage. And some put dog feces and sea dog fat and other stench on his face, while others, following him, danced, clapping their hands and terribly stamping their feet, laughing and invisibly mocking the singers, and saying: “God forbid any of you see the light, pathetic Christians, singing over the dog, “rest his soul with the saints,” and calling the one who committed all kinds of evil a servant of God.”
And here is a terrible vision of the saint. He looked and saw: the prince of unclean demons with an enraged gaze that terrifies those who watch, holding fire, brimstone and resin in his hands, goes to the tomb of that unfortunate man to dishonor his body and burn it with fire, which is what happened after the burial.
And when the dead man was carried past, Andrei looked and saw: a handsome young man was walking behind him and crying, overcome with sadness. And sobbing, he passes by the saint.
Believing that he really was a young man and one of the relatives of the deceased, that’s why he was crying like that, and as if forgetting about the secret affairs of the Lord, he extended his hand and, touching the crying young man, turned to him with the words: “I conjure you by the God of heaven and earth, what is the reason for your crying and why are you shedding such tears? I have never seen anyone cry so much for a dead person; please tell me why you are doing this?”
The angel answered him: “The reason for my crying is that the one who is being buried now, whom you saw, the devil took for himself. He is the reason for my crying and sadness, and having lost him, I cry.”
The saint said to him: “Tell me, my dear friend - for I understand who you are - what were his sins?”
And the angel answered him: “Since you, Andrew, are God’s chosen one and since you are allowed to know this, listen and hear. For now your beautiful soul is pure and bright, and as if I saw pure gold, I was a little consoled in my sadness. He was a noble husband of the emperor, but during his lifetime he was a sinner and a very evil man. In everything he was a fornicator and an adulterer and a sodomite, treacherous and unmerciful, arrogant and proud, and a lover of money, and deceitful, and hateful of man, vindictive and a bribe-taker, and an oath-breaker, he starved his poor servants, and with beatings, and with nakedness, leaving them without clothes. and without shoes on cold days; He killed many of them with a stick and buried them in the stable. And he was so inflamed with vile and ungodly lust for the youths and eunuchs that he desecrated up to three hundred souls with this vile and disgusting sin. But now, my friend in the Lord, the harvest came upon him, and death, having come, found him without repentance, mired in many indescribable sins, and you yourself saw his vile body with what dishonor they carried him to the grave. And therefore, O holy soul, I grieve and cry in great sorrow, for, my beloved, I have become a laughing stock for the demons and a receptacle for a vile stench.”
Meeting with an angel
When the angel finished, the saint said to him: “I ask you, my friend, calm down. He deserved a nasty end: he strove for evil and was now satisfied with it. But you, fire-like, filled with delight, in the name of the Lord Almighty Hosts, you will remain in goodness from now on and forever.”
After these words, the angel flew away invisibly. Passers-by walking along the street where the saint was talking to the angel, and seeing that he was standing and talking to himself - for they did not see the angel, being unworthy - said to each other: “Look at this holy fool, how he is fooling around, talking senselessly with the wall." And pushing him and driving him away, they said: “What are you thinking, you fool, possessed, standing and talking to the wall?”
The saint, hearing that they were chatting, smiled and said nothing. And laughing at their ignorance, he walked away from them and, coming to a secluded place, surrendered to silence.
Saint's prayer for the deceased
And remembering that unfortunate man who was being carried to the grave, he began to cry bitterly until he was exhausted and his eyes were swollen from long crying. And in tears he said the following prayer to the Lord: “Inscrutable and invisible and terrible God the Father, creator and ruler, creator of endless centuries and the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge! Incomprehensible birth, the splendor of holy glory, similar and equal to the Father and your beloved and almighty Spirit, born from time immemorial from a great mind, always remaining in the womb of the one who gave birth to you, one of the inseparable Trinity and after your incarnation! I ask you, save the body of that unfortunate man from the desecration of tar and brimstone, bow your holy womb to the prayer of your insignificant servant. Since there is no deliverance for his defiled soul, for death has closed everything for him, I ask you and pray that at least his body will be freed from such shame, so that the cursed deep serpent will not fully rejoice at the prey and will not swallow his soul along with his body, insulting your sacred Name".
And while the saint was praying, inspiration descended on him. And falling into ecstasy, he saw himself coming to the grave of that unfortunate man. And then the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, like quick lightning, holding a fiery rod in his hand and driving away the unclean spirits that were there. And they disappeared, and the desecration of the body by burning in pitch and brimstone was stopped.
Seeing this, the saint expressed gratitude to God, who fulfilled his prayer.
About the grave thief
A few days later, the daughter of a nobleman died. And she was a girl who lived her life in purity. Dying, she asked her father to be buried at their country estate in a chapel in the middle of the garden.
And when she died, they took her to bury her in the place that she had indicated to her father during her life.
At that time there was one grave thief who, tearing up the graves, took off the clothes of the dead. And standing on the way, he watched where they were going to carry her and bury her. And having learned where she was buried, he planned to do the same with her.
It happened that a saint passed by, doing his work for Christ. And as if having seen with the gaze of his heart, he comprehended in his spirit the vile intent of this wicked man. And wanting to turn him away from this act, for he knew what punishment was in store for him, and looking menacingly into his face, he said to him with anger: “Thus says the Spirit, judging the thieves of the clothes lying in the tombs: “You will no longer see the sun, you will not see more than a day, no longer see a human face. For the gates of your house will be shut and will never be opened again. And the day will darken and never dawn."
He, having heard this, did not understand what the saint was talking about and, without worrying about anything, walked away.
The saint, looking at him, said: “Go, go, steal, you fool. I swear by Jesus, if you do this, you will never see the sun.”
The same one, fully understanding what Andrei told him, began to praise him, calling him a righteous man and saying: “Really, you unfortunate demoniac, and at the devil’s instigation you are talking about the unknown and secret. I will go there on purpose to see if your words will come true.” The saint, acting like a fool, continued on his way.
When evening came, the madman chose an hour and, coming to the grave, rolled away the stone and went inside. And first he took the shroud and the cape, which were beautiful and precious. And having taken it, I wanted to leave.
But the demon, a hater of the human race, told him to take off his shirt and leave his body naked, which he did. And when he took the shirt, by the will of God - for this story is amazing - the dead girl, raising her right hand, hit him on the cheek. And immediately his eyes went blind. And horrified, he trembled so much that his jaws and knees began to knock with fear.
And opening her mouth, the dead maiden said to him: “Be miserable and wretched because you did not fear God or his angels. And at least you, as a person, would be ashamed to see a woman’s body naked and would be content with what you took first, and leave the shirt to my unfortunate body. But you acted inhumanly and cruelly and planned to make me a laughing stock in front of all the holy virgins on the day of the second coming. But today I will teach you a lesson so that you never steal again and so that you understand that Christ is the living God, and that there will be judgment and reward and life after death, and those who love the Lord will be joyful.”
Having said this, the girl got up and, taking her shirt, dressed herself and wrapped herself in a shroud and a cape, and again lay down and fell asleep in peace, saying: “In you alone, Lord, is my hope.”
The unfortunate man barely managed to find the garden wall and so went out. And since there was a road nearby, he, groping from wall to wall, came to the city gates. And to those who asked about the reason for his blindness and how it happened to him, at first he said something different, and not how it really happened. But then, having calmed down, he told the whole truth to his friend. And from then on he began to beg for alms and thus began to feed himself.
And sometimes, sitting and turning to his throat, he swore: “Curse you, insatiable throat, because because of you and my womb I accepted blindness.” And he also said: “He who gluttons and does not work steals and gets what he deserves.”
Remembering the saint, he marveled at how he predicted everything that was going to happen to him.
Many at that time, hearing about this miracle, rejected the works of Satan and were good in character and deed.
About the nobleman who was disgusted with the saint
When the blessed one from time to time mocked, as usual, at the hippodrome and did something indecent, and the people who saw him, some grieved, others, disdainful, cursed him as possessed by an evil demon, one of the nobles, driving by, seeing him, was disgusted spat on him.
The saint of Christ, looking at him for a long time and gaining insight into his life, said to him: “You wicked fornicator, a mocker of the church, aren’t you, getting up at night and pretending that you are going to church for matins, and go, wicked man, to Satan for matins. But now retribution has already come to you, and you will receive it according to your deeds that you committed, hoping to hide from the terrible all-seeing eye.”
Hearing this, the nobleman hit his horse and galloped away so as not to be embarrassed. For he was a naval charterer.
A few days later he became seriously ill and gradually began to waste away. And they began to carry him from church to church, from doctor to doctor, and there was no relief for him. And soon he went to eternal damnation.
One night, at the courtyard of this nobleman, the saint saw a fire-like angel of the Lord, flying from the west, looking with a menacing gaze and holding a large fiery rod in his hands. And he entered the house of that unfortunate man, threatening and angry, and intending to destroy his house to the ground. And when he entered the sick man, a voice was heard from above saying: “Strike this blasphemer, the Sodomite, the fornicator and the wicked. And, beating, punish him: “Will you still commit fornication with the male sex and with other people’s wives?” Will you go to matins with the Devil?”
And (the angel) began to beat him and punish him. And the voice of an angel and the sounds of blows were heard, but the one striking was not visible.
In torment, the unfortunate man, willy-nilly, without shame, prayed: “I will never commit fornication again! Have mercy on me!
Thus tormented for three days and three nights and repeating: “I will not commit fornication anymore!”, he gave up the ghost.
This, my friends, I heard from Blessed Andrew and wrote down for the benefit and edification of our souls, so that we keep ourselves pure while walking in this world. For nothing can be hidden from God and his saints.
And I asked the saint: “How and in what way did the unfortunate man sin?”
And, answering me, he said: “He had two eunuchs with whom he committed fornication. And they bought him lunch and, walking around the city, looked for him, now girls, now married women, now harlots. And all his thoughts were occupied with this, and getting up before the roosters, he went to them.
His wife often asked him where he was going at this hour. He answered: “I go to church.”
And when he left, he first engaged in devilish deeds, and then, defiled, stinking, he went to church.
Many, seeing how early he gets up, said: “This is a holy man.” And he was a secret devil. Therefore, God is disgusted by those who do this. It is not enough for him that he is a sinner, but still creates for himself the glory of a saint.”
About the vision of the Holy Mother of God in Blachernae
When there was an all-night vigil in the holy church in Blachernae, blessed Andrew went there, doing his usual business. Epiphanius and one of his servants were also with him. And sometimes they stood until midnight, and sometimes until dawn.
At four o'clock in the morning, blessed Andrew saw in reality the Holy Mother of God entering through the Imperial Gates - very tall, accompanied by formidable servants, among whom were the honest Forerunner and the Son of Thunder, who supported her on both sides. And many other saints in white robes walked in front of her and behind her with spiritual songs.
And when she approached the pulpit, the saint approached Epiphanius and asked: “Do you see the Lady and Queen of the world?”He replied: “I see, my father.”
And before their eyes, she knelt down and prayed for a long time, watering her godlike face with tears. Having finished the prayer, she went to the altar and prayed for the people standing there.
And having prayed, she took off the maforium shining like lightning, which covered her most pure head and shoulders, and, taking it into her most pure hands - it was large and terrible - she spread it over the people standing there. For a long time the saints saw him stretched out over people and radiating, like electricity, the glory of God. And while the Holy Mother of God was there, they saw the covering, and when she left, they no longer saw it, for she obviously took it with her, and left the grace to those who were there.
How the holy fool saved the golden youth
A homeless man wandering the streets of Constantinople met a group of golden youth and began to teach them how to become real Christians. History of St. Andrei Yurodivy, whose memory is celebrated on October 15
Andrey Yurodivy and his friend Epifaniy;
fragment of the icon of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, 16th century. Photo: ruicon.ru
The icon of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos depicts a disheveled homeless man and a richly dressed young man in the corner. This is St. Andrey Yurodivy and his friend Epifaniy. What connected them?
Constantinople under Emperor Leo VI was the most elegant and wealthy city in Europe. Rome is in the dark ages, Venice has not yet gained strength. Here, on the two banks of the Bosphorus, life was in full swing. Poverty coexisted with luxury, an abundance of shrines and monasteries - with vice.
And so a young Slav, one of the slaves of one well-known bodyguard in the city, Theognost, “goes crazy” and begins to wander dirty through the central streets of the capital, sleep on the ground in winter, clinging to a dog in search of warmth, drink water from puddles and preach repentance. One day, prostitutes stole his clothes and, mockingly, put on burlap. The boys put a noose around his neck and dragged him down the street.
One day this “homeless man” - his name was Andrei - met three young men from the golden youth. No, they were not helipads and wasters of life. Just the opposite. The eldest of them somehow immediately realized that in front of him was not just a madman, but a holy fool who, for the sake of Christ, was carrying out the feat of complete self-denial - imaginary madness.
The young men spoke to Andrei and the first thing he said to the eldest of them was: “You are Epiphanius, and from now on you are my friend and son,” and predicted the bishopric for him. The young men were amazed and invited the holy fool to the tavern.
So Epiphanius became a friend of the holy fool. With him St. Andrei spoke frankly, telling the secrets of spiritual life and his visions. Epiphany's friends and relatives were shocked by this friendship. He had to justify himself by saying that he supposedly knew Andrei before he went crazy, and now he could not leave his comrade in trouble.
However, it was not the rich young man who saved the homeless man, but the “madman” who saved him and his friends from the passions that accompanied the life of young people at all times. From squandering and infatuation with women.
One day Epiphanius was sitting at the gate of his house when St. Andrey. The young man decided to invite him inside, although his father was at home: “You see this naked man walking back and forth. It seems to me that even though he has gone mad due to the machinations of the enemy of the human race, let us bring him into our house and, with the help of the Lord, who has honored and made you rich, we will give him food from the blessings that God has given us.”
The father agreed, but St. Andrei did not enter the house, but sat down in front of the gate. A crowd has gathered. Some lamented with groans, cursing the devil that he had destroyed such a person, depriving him of his mind, others gave him small coins, others - wine; he, according to his custom, drove everyone away.
Then a handsome and pampered young eunuch, an acquaintance of Epiphanius, passed by. He carried dates with him and wanted to give them to the holy fool. But St. Andrei threateningly rejected them: “Go, deceiver, to your master’s bedroom and indulge in the disease of Sodom with him, and he will give you other dates... Are you not ashamed even of the angel accompanying you as a Christian?” The eunuch was afraid. Epiphany began to console him: “You never know what a madman says, but if you know what’s wrong with you, then correct yourself.”
Epiphanius then asked the saint: “Why did you denounce my friend so severely?” “Because he is your friend and dear to you! That is why I entered into a conversation with him: after all, if he had not been your friend, he would not have heard a single word from me at all: my goal is not to condemn sinners, but to flee the straight path, leading to a better life,” the blessed one answered him.
Epiphanius objected: “I know about this, but this young man is a slave, and, forced by his master, what can he do?” “I know, and I know it very well,” said St. Andrey. “However, for bodily needs a slave must obey the one who bought him, and not for the sake of the devil’s activities, especially this damned and disgusting abomination.” “But if the master gives an order to the slave for the sake of a bodily need, or spiritual, or sinful, and the slave does not obey, you know how much he will endure, insulted, beaten, showered with threats and accepting all other torments,” Epiphanius objected again.
St. Andrew replied: “This, child, is the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, about which he hinted: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Therefore, if slaves do not submit to their masters in the disgusting lust of Sodom, they are blessed and thrice blessed, for through the trials you speak of they will be numbered among the martyrs.”
At this time the servant boy came. He asked St. Andrey, can he also become a holy fool? In order not to embarrass the others, the saint performed a miracle: the boy and he began to talk in Syriac. The holy fool said that this feat was beyond the boy’s strength, but showed him for a brief moment what it was like to be a holy fool.
The boy suddenly began to behave like crazy. Epiphanius was frightened and asked St. Andrey to take this gift from the boy. The boy calmed down, but asked that this madness be returned to him, because he felt great spiritual joy in this state. “Your master Epiphanius came to your defense, and divine laws do not allow you to act contrary to the opinion of your master,” St. answered him. Andrey.
St. Andrew stayed until the evening and the servants gathered around him. He began to retell his sins to everyone - not directly, but in hints, but people were still scared. A terrible laugh was heard outside the windows. “It’s the demons who jump because we are sinners,” said St. Andrey. The servants argued: some considered the holy fool a sorcerer, others - a saint.
We went to bed. Epiphanius lay down on the floor, and St. He laid Andrey on his bed. But the holy fool left the room at night and lay down in the backyard, in a dung heap.
St. Andrew always protected his friend Epiphanius. Epiphanius was rich, and one day he had a new friend who wanted to gain a position through this friendship. Having met this new friend one day in church together with Epiphanius, the holy fool looked him in the eyes and suddenly hit him in the face. “Get away from this boy,” he said to the creep. “You are not worthy to stand next to him.”
The young man rushed at the holy fool. Even the fact that they were in church didn't stop him. Epiphany began to separate them. But he broke down in response and revealed himself: “Will I really give up this world exactly when I should enjoy it?” He gave up praying and openly went into all serious troubles.
Another friend of Epiphanius, John, had his eye on the prostitute. Epiphany drove her away, and began to admonish his friend. At this time St. passed by. Andrey. Epiphanius went with the holy fool, and he privately said to his friend: “The words that you spoke to that young man were spoken in vain.” And he discovered that John was a seducer of married women and a bisexual. God gave him a year of life, during which he must either improve or perish, only John himself does not know about this. Epiphany asked if his comrade should tell about this. St. Andrew replied that he would only laugh in response.
A year passed, and Epiphanius had a dream. They are together with St. Andrei was in a disgusting, smelly place with vipers and mice. He noticed a board with the inscription: “The eternal residence and inevitable punishment of John, son of Celeustion.” When Epiphanius woke up, he was informed that John was mortally ill. Epiphany went to him. John asked: “Pray for me, Saint of God, that God may spare me.” Epiphanius replied: “Brother, the Lord will do what is necessary, for He himself knows what is useful; pray to God, and He will do what is due to His mercy.”
Epiphanius himself was a chaste man, but he was greatly tormented by lustful thoughts. Only help, prayers and advice from St. Andrei was kept from giving up and following the path of his comrades.
Together they discovered a great miracle. Here is what the life says about this: Once in the Blachernae Church, Epiphanius prayed with St. Andrei at the all-night vigil. At four o'clock in the morning, blessed Andrew saw with his own eyes the Holy Mother of God appearing from the side of the Royal Gate with a formidable retinue. Walking next to the Most Pure One were John the Baptist and John the Theologian, and many other saints, dressed in white.
When they approached the pulpit, the blessed one approached Epiphanius and said: “Do you see the Lady and Lady of the world? “He answered: “Yes, my spiritual father.” And while they were watching, the Mother of God, bending her knees, prayed for a long time with tears, and then took off her amophorion (veil) from her head and spread it over all the people standing there as a sign of protection and mercy. This vision is remembered on the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The young man Epiphanius later became a bishop, as St. predicted to him. Andrey Yurodivy.
