Life of St. Varlaam of Khutyn
The following is the life of the holy Saint Varlaam of Khutyn, in Russia.
Saint Varlaam was born a Novgorodian noble, and took a tonsure in the Lisitsky Monastery. He began to live a solitary life in Khutyn, on a hill. In 1192, he built the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, and became a hegumen of a monastery he created nearby. He has been venerated for a very long time. The actual details of his life are sparing, but specific stories exist.
Temptation
The fellow monks brought St. Varlaam fish. He was fasting and did not desire temptation, so he ordered them to deposit it in a vessel for three days after cooking it. For three days, he fasted and prayed, and opened the vessel. He summoned the other monks, and showed them: it was rotting and covered in worms.
He said: "Every animal turns into corruption after its destruction; it befits us to be resolved from every pleasure of the world and every attachment to this life. If you want to eat sweet food and drink sweet drink here, then why are you called monks? You have already left the world to go to the desert to serve your Creator."
Rescued Convict
St. Varlaam crossed the Volkhov river to Novgorod and saw an executioner ready to throw a convict in the Volkhov. A crowd surrounded the execution, and St. Varlaam grabbed the convict. He stated, "He will make up for his sins in Khutyn," taking the new monk to his monastery to repent. This man became a pious holy monk who died after many years of penance.
Many years later, St. Varlaam crossed the Volkhov again, and saw a similar situation. The people and the condemned's relatives begged him to save the man, as he was innocent of all crimes, but St. Varlaam continued walking, ignoring the crowd. "What does this mean?” - they all said amongst themselves, - “The saint saved from execution one, although none asked for it, but did not want the other, despite all the petitions."
St. Varlaam's brothers asked him why he had done this when he returned to the monastery. Barlaam replied: “The Lord’s mercy is unlimited. The Lord wants salvation for all and does not want the sinner to die. to give him time to repent and atone for his sins, which the first performed in the monastery. The second was condemned though he was anninnocan man, so the Lord allowed him to die, so that later he would not become a bad person; now, having died innocently, he received a crown of martyrdom from the Lord. Such is the mystery of the destinies of God: "who knows the mind of the Lord God, and who is his counselor?" (Rom.11: 33,34 ).
Catch of Fish
Fishermen caught a large amount of fish, and brought the small ones to the monastery, but hid a large sturgeon.
Looking at them with a smile, St. Varlaam said: "You brought children to me, where did their mother hide." Embarrassed by this revelation, the fishermen fell to the feet of the Reverend Father, asking for forgiveness.
The Archbishop of Novgorod
St. Varlaam visited the Novgorod archbishop. At parting, the Archbishop told him to come in a week, to which the Saint replied “If God blesses, I will come to your shrine on a sleigh on the heels of the first week of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul".
The archbishop was confused. There was no snow, and sleigh riding was impossible. On the eve of a certain day, deep snow fell during the night, and on Friday there was a severe frost all day. The monk arrived in Novgorod on a sleigh.
Seeing the Archbishop's sadness on the occasion of such untimely bad weather, as a result of which bread could freeze, Barlaam said to him:
“Do not be upset, lord, do not mourn, but thank the Lord. If the Lord had not sent this snow and frost, there would have been famine throughout the country, to which the Lord would punish us for our sins, but through the prayers of the Virgin and Saints, He had compassion on us and sent a frost to kill the worms that had eaten away the roots of the loaves.”
In the morning warmth will come again, this snow will melt and give water to the earth. By the grace of the Lord, there will be fertility. "
The next day it was warm. The archbishop brought rye crops with roots from the field, on which there were many killed worms.
Thanks for reading! Lord have mercy on us sinners. Господи Исусе Христе, сыне божий, помилуй нас грешники.
Temptation
He said: "Every animal turns into corruption after its destruction; it befits us to be resolved from every pleasure of the world and every attachment to this life. If you want to eat sweet food and drink sweet drink here, then why are you called monks? You have already left the world to go to the desert to serve your Creator."
Rescued Convict
St. Varlaam crossed the Volkhov river to Novgorod and saw an executioner ready to throw a convict in the Volkhov. A crowd surrounded the execution, and St. Varlaam grabbed the convict. He stated, "He will make up for his sins in Khutyn," taking the new monk to his monastery to repent. This man became a pious holy monk who died after many years of penance.
Many years later, St. Varlaam crossed the Volkhov again, and saw a similar situation. The people and the condemned's relatives begged him to save the man, as he was innocent of all crimes, but St. Varlaam continued walking, ignoring the crowd. "What does this mean?” - they all said amongst themselves, - “The saint saved from execution one, although none asked for it, but did not want the other, despite all the petitions."
St. Varlaam's brothers asked him why he had done this when he returned to the monastery. Barlaam replied: “The Lord’s mercy is unlimited. The Lord wants salvation for all and does not want the sinner to die. to give him time to repent and atone for his sins, which the first performed in the monastery. The second was condemned though he was anninnocan man, so the Lord allowed him to die, so that later he would not become a bad person; now, having died innocently, he received a crown of martyrdom from the Lord. Such is the mystery of the destinies of God: "who knows the mind of the Lord God, and who is his counselor?" (Rom.11: 33,34 ).
Catch of Fish
Fishermen caught a large amount of fish, and brought the small ones to the monastery, but hid a large sturgeon.
Looking at them with a smile, St. Varlaam said: "You brought children to me, where did their mother hide." Embarrassed by this revelation, the fishermen fell to the feet of the Reverend Father, asking for forgiveness.
The Archbishop of Novgorod
St. Varlaam visited the Novgorod archbishop. At parting, the Archbishop told him to come in a week, to which the Saint replied “If God blesses, I will come to your shrine on a sleigh on the heels of the first week of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul".
The archbishop was confused. There was no snow, and sleigh riding was impossible. On the eve of a certain day, deep snow fell during the night, and on Friday there was a severe frost all day. The monk arrived in Novgorod on a sleigh.
Seeing the Archbishop's sadness on the occasion of such untimely bad weather, as a result of which bread could freeze, Barlaam said to him:
“Do not be upset, lord, do not mourn, but thank the Lord. If the Lord had not sent this snow and frost, there would have been famine throughout the country, to which the Lord would punish us for our sins, but through the prayers of the Virgin and Saints, He had compassion on us and sent a frost to kill the worms that had eaten away the roots of the loaves.”
In the morning warmth will come again, this snow will melt and give water to the earth. By the grace of the Lord, there will be fertility. "
The next day it was warm. The archbishop brought rye crops with roots from the field, on which there were many killed worms.
St. Varlaam of Khutyn and Prince Yaroslav
Prince Yaroslav once visited the monastery of St. Varlaam, who blessed him, saying "Be well, prince, and may your noble son be well." The prince wasn't aware that his son was born, and was amazed at the Saint. He asked the Reverend Father to be the godfather of the newborn.
Thanks for reading! Lord have mercy on us sinners. Господи Исусе Христе, сыне божий, помилуй нас грешники.
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