Melania according to the church calendar. Reverend Melania

The most great miracle on earth - the birth of a child. After all, if you just imagine for a moment what a difficult path it takes little man, to come into the world, then we can say with confidence that we cannot do without it here. It was a great discovery for me that the icon Melania is considered the patroness of all pregnant women and women in labor. It helps not only to endure healthy child, but also to give birth to him without much pain. Melania also helps women in labor during difficult births.

History and meaning of the Melania icon.

Each person chooses for himself which path in life to take. Your life path Melania, who was embodied in an icon, also adhered to this. Her life cannot be called very difficult, since she came from a very wealthy family. From childhood, she strived to spiritually merge with Christ, to be immaculate, but her dreams were not destined to come true. At the age of 14, Melania was married to a wealthy young man named Apianin. For quite a long time she refused intimacy with him, citing the fact that she wanted to remain chaste, but her husband persuaded her to give birth to heirs, and then promised her to devote themselves to serving the Lord together. In their marriage they had two children: a girl and a boy. Unfortunately, the boy was born premature and died almost immediately, and Melania became seriously ill. Her husband, fearing for her life, swore with her to renounce worldly life. She recovered, but soon their daughter also passed away. After that, the two of them devoted themselves to serving Christ, sold their property and helped all those in need around the world.

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The meaning of the Melania icon in the development of Christianity.

Saint Melania and her husband wished as much as possible more people initiate into Christianity, and therefore they bought up lands and entire islands for construction Christian churches and temples. With their donations, temples appeared, as I already said, in Africa, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and many other countries. The poor also received help from them. The saint proved to her that all worldly joys are of no use to one person; the main happiness for people lies in faith in Christ. And the icon of Melania the Roman is proof that by helping people, a person receives spiritual cleansing and does not live his life in vain. IN present moment The relics of Saint Melania rest in a cave located under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and anyone can venerate the holy relics and ask for a miracle.

Parents usually want the best for their children. And everything would be fine, but they understand this good in their own way. Children grow up and choose their own path. In each specific situation, compromises between parental and own will will be different - or maybe there will be none at all. If a tree is bent towards the ground, it will either break or straighten out anyway. If you impose on a young man or girl a way of life that disgusts them, it will either ruin their life or give them the strength to go towards their goal in spite of all circumstances. A God's will may go completely against paternal ideas. This is evidenced by the life of the Christian saint Melania the Roman.

Venerable Melania was born in the 4th century in Rome in Christian family. Her parents were rich and noble people. Naturally, they saw their daughter as an heiress and continuer of the family. But the girl from the very youth had their own views on future life- She felt a calling to monasticism. The parents were not inspired by their daughter’s high aspirations, and perhaps felt that she was still too young to resolve such issues on her own. And at the age of 14, Melania was married against her will to the noble young man Apinian.

From the very beginning life together Melania begged her husband to live with her like brother and sister or let her go. But Apinian answered: “When, at the command of the Lord, we acquire two children as heirs to our property, then together we will renounce the world.” Soon Saint Melania gave birth to a girl. The matter remained with the second heir, but... Melania’s new birth was premature and painful. A boy was born, he was baptized, and he died immediately. Seeing the suffering of his wife, Apinian rethought the situation and asked God to save her life, vowing to spend the rest of their life together in chastity. Having recovered, the saint took off her silk clothes forever and dressed in a simple dress.

The girl born first did not live long. After the death of his daughter, Apinian bitterly regretted that he had refused his wife’s first request. The young people made a firm decision to become monks, but their parents continued to oppose this. Only when Melania's father suffered fatal disease, he asked them for forgiveness and admonished them to follow the path they had chosen.

The saints immediately left the city of Rome, and for them began new life entirely dedicated to the service of God. Apinian was 24 years old at the time, and Melania was twenty. They began to visit the sick, receive strangers, and generously help the poor. They went around prisons, places of exile and mines - they freed the unfortunate people who were held there for debts. With money received from the sale of estates in Italy and Spain, Apinian and Melania bought land for monasteries in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Phenicia and Palestine. Many temples and hospitals were built with their funds. The churches of the West and East received rich donations from them.

When unusual married couple, having left her homeland, sailed to Africa, a strong storm began. The sailors said that this was the wrath of God, but Melania told them to surrender the ship to the will of the One who carried it. The waves washed the ship onto an island on which stood a city besieged by barbarians. The besiegers demanded ransom from the residents, threatening the city with destruction. The saints contributed the necessary money and thereby saved the city and its inhabitants from destruction.

Arriving in Africa, Apinian and Melania provided assistance to all those in need, donating to churches and monasteries. Saint Melania continued to humble her flesh strict fasting, and strengthened my soul by constantly reading the Word of God, rewriting holy books and giving to the poor.

Saints Apinian and Melania stayed in Africa for seven years and then headed to Jerusalem. There they distributed the remaining gold they had to the poor and began to live in poverty and prayer. After a short trip to Egypt, where the saints visited many desert fathers, Melania secluded herself in a lonely cell on the Mount of Olives, only occasionally seeing Apinian. Gradually, a monastery arose near the cell, where up to 90 virgins gathered. Saint Melania, out of humility, did not agree to be his abbess and continued to live and pray alone.

The Venerable Melania, the first of the noble Romans, “strove for Christ from a young age, thirsting for bodily integrity and wounded Divine love", was born into a Christian family. Her parents - eminent and rich people - saw in their daughter an heiress and continuer of the family.

At the age of fourteen, Melania was married against her will to the noble young man Apinian. From the very beginning of their life together, the saint begged her husband to live with her in chastity or to let her go unsullied in both body and soul. Apinian answered: “When, at the command of the Lord, we acquire two children as heirs to our property, then together we will renounce the world.”

Soon Saint Melania gave birth to a girl, whom the young parents dedicated to God. Continuing to live in marriage, Melania secretly wore a hair shirt and spent her nights in prayer. Melania's second birth was premature and painful. A boy was born, he was baptized, and he immediately went to the Lord.

Seeing the suffering of his wife, Blessed Apinian asked God to save the life of Saint Melania and vowed to spend the rest of their life together in chastity. Having recovered, the saint took off her silk clothes forever. Soon their daughter died. Meanwhile, the parents of the saints opposed their desire to devote themselves to God.

Only when Melania’s father suffered a fatal illness, he asked them for forgiveness and admonished them to follow the path they had chosen, asking them to pray for him.

The saints immediately left the city of Rome, and a new life began for them, entirely devoted to serving God. Apinian was 24 years old at that time, and Melania was 20. They began to visit the sick, receive strangers, and generously help the poor. They went around prisons, places of exile and mines and freed the unfortunate people who were being held there for debt. Having sold estates in Italy and Spain, they generously helped the elders and monasteries, buying for last lands in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Phenicia and Palestine. Many temples and hospitals were built with their funds. The churches of the West and East received benefits from them.

When they left their homeland and sailed to Africa, a strong storm began during the voyage. The sailors said that this was the wrath of God, but blessed Melania told them to surrender the ship to the will of the One who carried it. The waves washed the ship onto an island on which stood a city besieged by barbarians. The besiegers demanded ransom from the residents, threatening the city with destruction. The saints contributed the necessary money, and thereby saved the city and its inhabitants from destruction.

Arriving in Africa, they also provided assistance to all those in need. With the blessing of local bishops, they donated to churches and monasteries. At the same time, Saint Melania continued to humble her flesh with strict fasting, and strengthened her soul by incessantly reading the Word of God, rewriting sacred books and distributing them to the poor. She sewed the hair shirt herself and wore it without taking it off.

After a short trip to Egypt, where the saints visited many desert fathers, Saint Melania secluded herself in a lonely cell on the Mount of Olives, only occasionally seeing Saint Apinian.

Gradually, a monastery arose near the cell, where up to ninety virgins gathered. Saint Melania, out of humility, did not agree to be his abbess and continued to live and pray alone. In her teachings, Saint Melania called on the sisters to stay awake and pray, guard their thoughts and, first of all, kindle love for God and for each other, observing holy Orthodox faith and purity of soul and body. She especially exhorted them to be obedient to the will of God. Recalling the words of the apostle, she advised fasting “not with grief or under compulsion: for God loves those who give willingly.” Through her efforts, a chapel and an altar were built in the monastery, where the relics of the saints were buried: the prophet of God Zechariah, the holy First Martyr Stephen and the Forty Saints who suffered torment in Sebaste.

By this time Saint Apinian had departed to the Lord. Saint Melania buried the relics of the blessed one and spent about four years near this place in fasting and unceasing prayer.

The saint wished to build monastery on the Mount of the Ascension of Christ. The Lord blessed her plan by sending a lover of Christ who gave funds for the monastery. Receiving them with joy, Saint Melania accomplished this great deed in one year. In the monastery she erected, holy men began to tirelessly offer their prayers to God in the Church of the Ascension of Christ.

Having completed her labors, the blessed one left Jerusalem, going to Constantinople to visit her pagan uncle, in the hope of saving his soul. On the way, she prayed at the relics of St. Lawrence, at the site of his martyrdom, and received a good omen.

Arriving in Constantinople, the saint found her uncle there in illness and talked with him. Under the influence of her conversations, the patient abandoned paganism and died a Christian. At that time, many residents of the capital were confused heretical doctrine Nestoria. Saint Melania received everyone who turned to her for admonition. Many miracles happened through the prayers of the blessed one. Returning to her monastery, the saint of God felt the approach of death and announced this to the presbyter and sisters. In deep sorrow and tears they listened to her last instructions. Having asked for their prayers and commanded them to keep themselves pure, having partaken of the Holy Mysteries with joy and jubilation, Saint Melania meekly and calmly gave up her soul to the Lord. This was in 439.

Based on materials from Patriarchia.ru

Kontakion of St. Melania the Roman

Having loved the virginity of purity and admonished the betrothed to good things, / squander the abundance of wealth / in the sojourn of monastics, O Blessed One, and erected monasteries. / Also, dwell in the Heavenly monastery, / remember us, O all-honorable desire.

But since she was their only daughter and there was no other heir to their countless estates and riches, therefore, when the saint was fourteen years old, they gave her, against her will, in marriage to a man of equal nobility, named Apinian, to whom seventeenth year. When the marriage was concluded, Melania did not part with her thought and desire to preserve, if not virginity, then purity, and in every possible way persuaded her husband to abstinence, often admonishing him and saying with tears:

How happy we would be if we lived together in purity, in our youth working for God without carnal intercourse - which is what I have always desired and desire! Then we would spend a wonderful, God-pleasing life with you. If your passion, so characteristic of youth, overcomes you and prevents you from fulfilling my request, so that you cannot overcome carnal desires, then leave me and do not be an obstacle to my desire. As a ransom for myself, I give you all my wealth, male and female slaves, treasures, gold and silver and other countless property. Own all this, just let me be free from carnal relations.

Having heard such words, Apinian did not completely refuse her fulfillment of her desire, but did not give her full consent, but only said affectionately:

This cannot happen until we have an heir to our estates. When such an heir is born to us, then I will not give up on your good intentions, for it is not good if a wife is ahead of her husband in a good deed and striving for God. Let us wait until God gives us the fruit of our marriage, and then we will agree to begin the life that you strive for.

Melania agreed with her husband’s intention, and so God sent them a daughter. Upon her birth, Melania took a vow of virginity for her, as if paying her debt: she wanted her daughter to observe what she herself could not observe, having been married against her will.

Then, in preparation for another life, she began to accustom herself to abstinence and mortification of the body: she fasted, deprived herself of all pleasures of the flesh, did not want to wear beautiful clothes and precious women’s jewelry, and did not go to the bathhouse. And when her husband or parents convinced her to go to the bathhouse, she did not expose her body and came out of there, having washed only her face, and she forbade the slaves to tell anyone about it and gave them gifts so that they would remain silent. At the same time, she demanded that her husband fulfill his promise:

We already have, she said, an heiress to our fortune. Let us do without marriage relations, as you promised.

But he did not listen to his wife.

Melania, seeing his disagreement, planned to secretly flee to an unknown country, leaving her father, mother, husband, child and all her wealth: she was so strongly seized by the desire for God and the desire to live in purity. She would have done this immediately if she had not been restrained by the advice of some prudent people, who reminded her of the following apostolic word: " And to those who have entered into marriage I command not I, but the Lord: the wife must not divorce her husband.", and also: " Why do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or do you, husband, why do you know if you won’t save your wife?" (1 Cor. 7:10-16).

So, held back by the thought of saving her husband, she abandoned her thought of escape. However, it was difficult for her to fulfill her marital duty. She secretly wore a stiff hair shirt on her body, and only when she knew that she would be left alone with her husband did she take it off so that her husband would not find out about her life. But somehow her father’s sister found out about this and began to laugh at this hair-hair garment, annoying and blaspheming the saint because of it. Melania tearfully begged her not to tell anyone what she had learned. Soon after, Melania conceived for the second time, and the time was approaching for her to give birth. The memory of the holy martyr Lawrence 1 has arrived. The saint spent the entire night without sleep, praying, kneeling and chanting psalms. At the same time, she tried to overcome the natural pain. Morning came, but she did not stop her difficult prayer. The severe pains of the woman in labor intensified to the extreme, but she still knelt down to pray and finally became exhausted from all-night prayer work and from natural illness. Then, in great pain, she gave birth to a male child. Having received holy baptism, the baby immediately departed from this world to the heavenly fatherland. After this birth, Melania became very ill and was close to death. Her husband, standing by her bed, was barely alive from longing for her and regret. In his grief, he hurried to the church, where he sobbed and prayed to God, asking Him for healing of his dear wife. Melania, seeing that the time was favorable to persuade her husband to her intention, sent to tell him while he was still in church:

If you want me and you to live, make a promise before God that you will not touch me again, and we will both live in purity for the rest of our lives.

Melania's husband, loving her inexpressibly and putting her health above his own, obeyed her will and vowed before God to live with her in purity. When the messenger returned and told Melania this, she was happy and felt better. Her bodily illness gave way to spiritual joy, and Melania glorified the Most High, who helped her by fulfilling the most cherished desires of her heart through illness.

When Melania arose from her sick bed, her daughter, the beautiful branch of virginity promised to God, went to Him. Her death inclined Apinian even more to maintain purity, especially since Melania did not cease to convince him to do so.

Do you see,” she said when their daughter died, “how God Himself calls us to a pure life? If He had pleased to continue our carnal marriage, He would not have taken our children from us.

So Apinian and Melania, after a carnal natural marriage, entered into a higher, spiritual marriage, and encouraged each other to virtue, practicing fasting, prayer, labor, and mortification of the flesh. They agreed to give all their possessions in the person of the poor to Christ, while they themselves completely renounced the world and became monks. But Melania’s parents did not want to allow this. And then one night, when Apinian and Melania were grieving a lot about this and conferring with each other on how to get rid of the intricate networks of the world, Divine grace suddenly dawned on them from above. They felt a great fragrance coming from heaven, which the mind cannot comprehend and language cannot describe, and were filled with such spiritual joy that they forgot all their sorrow. From then on, the saints were possessed by an even greater thirst for spiritual blessings: the world and everything in the world became disgusting to them, and they decided, abandoning everything, to run away somewhere and become monks. But God's Providence prepared for them a different path to achieve what they wanted.

Soon Melania's father died, and Apinian and Melania became free in their actions. But since they had a lot of wealth, which they promised to dedicate to Christ, they did not immediately part with the world and their fatherland. Until they distributed everything to the poor, they chose one of their estates in the suburbs of Rome as their place of residence and lived strictly maintaining cleanliness. At the time this blessed couple chose such a godly life, Apinian was beginning his 24th year, while Melania was ending her 20th year 2 . It is truly a great miracle that in those years in which youth usually burns with the fire of carnal passions, this holy couple, leading a life above the carnal nature, remained unburnt, like the youths in the Vavshyun furnace.

All this happened under the leadership of Melania. She, like a wise servant of the Lord, strictly watched both herself and her husband, so that she was for her husband a teacher, mentor, guide on the path of the Lord. Leading such a wondrous life, they sold their estates and freely provided assistance to those in need.

At this time, God sent them one test. Apinian's brother, named Severus, seeing such a life of the blessed couple, began to consider Apinian and Melania as worthless and to take away some of their property. When he saw that they did not resist him and did not care about the property they had taken, he began to think about more, appropriating everything for himself. Apinian and Melania, in their kindness, endured this, placing their trust in God. There was only one thing that saddened them: seeing how the estates they had destined for Christ were falling into the hands of an envious person, they grieved that the property of the poor was being plundered. But the Lord, Who protects His servants and delivers them from the hands of those who offend them, raised up the pious queen Verina 3 against the North. She heard about the godly life of Apinian and Melania and, having learned that the North was taking away their estates, she called them to her and received them with honor. When the pious spouses appeared before the queen in poor clothes and with a humble appearance, the queen was much amazed at their poverty and humility; then, hugging Melania, she said to her: “Blessed are you who have chosen such a life for yourself!” At the same time, the queen promised to take revenge on the North for them. But Melania and Apinian asked her not to resort to revenge, but only to reassure Sever so that he would not offend them anymore.

For us, they said, it is better to endure insults than to offend someone, for Divine Scripture commands the one who is hit on the cheek to offer the offender another (Matthew 5:39). We thank you, mistress, for wanting to graciously protect us, but we do not ask for revenge on the North. On the contrary, we ask that no harm be done to him because of us. It is enough for us if from now on he stops treating us badly and taking away what does not belong to us, but to Christ and Christ’s servants, orphans and widows, the poor and wretched.

They also asked the queen to be able to freely, without any obstacles, sell their large estates, which were cities and villages located not only in Italy, in the Roman region, but also in Sicily 4, Spain, Gaul and Britain. Melania's parents were so rich that, except for the king, there was no one richer than them. The queen complied with the request of Apinian and Melania, and they were given the freedom to sell all their estates without restrictions, wherever they were. Melania had a desire to give the royal sister some valuable gifts, but she did not want to take anything offered, considering it blasphemy to take anything given to Christ.

Finally, Apinian and Melania returned with great honor from the royal chambers to their place of residence.

The extent of their wealth, which they gave to Christ, can be judged from the fact that at that time no one could buy their houses in Rome at the appropriate price. Only later, when the house was set on fire by barbarians and significantly damaged by fire, was it sold for less than its value, and the proceeds from the sale were distributed to the poor. Thus, we can positively say that Apinian and Melania showed greater zeal for God than Job. For he thanked God when he lost his wealth against his will, but these voluntarily abandoned such riches, striving for poverty. At first such a life was full of sorrows for them and seemed very difficult, but then it became easy and full of all kinds of consolations: for " yoke"Christ's" good" And " the burden is easy"(Matthew 11:30).

The devil tried to tempt the pious spouses with greed. One day, when they had brought a lot of gold for the sold estates, he began to instill in their souls some kind of passion for gold. But Melania, realizing the machinations of the ancient serpent, immediately erased his head, exchanging gold for dust and uncontrollably spending it on the poor. The blessed one told the following about herself:

I had one estate with a house on a high, beautiful place; it was better than all our estates. On one side of it the sea spread out, and from the mountain one could see ships sailing and fishermen catching fish. On the other, tall trees rose, sown fields, gardens and rich vineyards were visible; in one place luxurious baths were built, in another water springs; there the singing of various birds was heard, there were all kinds of animals in places fenced off for them, and the hunt for them was successful. And the enemy inspired me with the idea of saving this property for the sake of its beauty and not selling it, but keeping it for myself in order to live in it. But, by God’s grace, I felt that these were the machinations of the enemy, and, turning my mind to the mountain villages, I immediately sold those properties and gave the proceeds to my Christ.

After the pious spouses sold their Italian estates, their alms flowed, like abundant rivers, to all ends of the earth. They sent a lot of alms to Mesopotamia, Phenicia, Syria, Egypt and Palestine - to churches and monasteries for men and women, hospices and hospitals, orphans and widows in chains and prisons, as well as for the ransom of prisoners. Both the west and the east were filled with bounties coming from their hands. Sometimes they bought entire islands, in quiet and sparsely populated places, and, having built monasteries there, gave them away for maintenance spiritual rank. Everywhere they decorated the holy churches with gold and silver, priestly gold-woven vestments, and did not spare money on church splendor. Then, leaving a small part of their lands in Italy unsold, they, together with Melania’s mother, who was still alive, boarded a ship and sailed to Sicily, partly to sell their estates there themselves, partly to visit the blessed Bishop Paulinus, their spiritual father.

Soon after their departure, barbarians 5 attacked Rome and devastated with sword and fire all the surrounding areas of the city and the entire Italian land. The saints did well that they managed, with God’s help, to sell their estates before this disaster. For what was destined to perish in vain, without any reward from God, became for them a hundredfold reward in eternal life. In addition, they preserved their temporary health intact, leaving Italy, like Lot - Sodom 6, before its fierce devastation by the barbarians. Having visited Sicily and on the way there they met with Saint Paulinus, Bishop of Nolan 7, they arranged matters regarding the estates there and sailed to Libya and Carthage 8.

As they sailed on the sea, a strong storm arose and great excitement, which lasted for many days. The fresh water in the ship was already running low, meanwhile there were many rowers and servants, and they all suffered from severe thirst. Saint Melania, realizing that the Lord was not blessing the path they had chosen to Libya, ordered the sails to be turned to follow the wind, trusting in God that He would direct the ship wherever He wanted. Caught by the wind, they landed on one island. Shortly before their arrival, the barbarians suddenly attacked this island, took possession of it and took with them a great number of men and women, and sent word to the remaining inhabitants that if they wanted, they would quickly ransom the prisoners: otherwise all the prisoners would be beheaded. The population of the island was in great sadness, since, due to the scarcity of funds, few could pay the ransom.

At that time, the ship on which Melania and Apinian were sailing landed on the island. The bishop of that island, hearing that a ship from Rome had landed on them, came to ask for help to ransom the prisoners and received more than he expected. Taking pity on them, Melania and Apinian gave as much gold as was required to ransom all the prisoners. When they set sail from this island, a calm and favorable wind blew, and soon they reached Carthage. Having left the ship there, they performed their abundant works of mercy, doing good to churches and monasteries, alleviating the situation of the poor and sick.

Having done such good deeds, they settled in a city located near Carthage, which was called Tagasta. The bishop of Tagasta was Alypius, a friend of Blessed Augustine 9, a man skilled in speech and teaching, who wisely instructed all those who came to him. Having fallen in love with this good shepherd, Apinian and Saint Melania richly decorated his church, and bought a lot of land for it; in addition, they created two monasteries there, one for men - for eighty monks, the other for women - for one hundred and thirty nuns, and provided these monasteries with land and everything they needed. Saint Melania gradually began to accustom herself to fasting more and more strictly; at first she ate every other day, then after two, and finally remained without food the entire week, except Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes she was engaged in rewriting books, since she wrote very beautifully and without mistakes, sometimes she made clothes for the poor. She sent the copied books for sale, and distributed the money earned from this labor to the poor. She also occupied herself with reading Holy Scripture. When her hands were tired from work or from writing, she practiced reading, and, as it were, set work for her eyes. If her eyes were tired from reading for a long time, her hearing helped her, because she ordered others to read, and she listened. It was her custom to read the Old and New Testaments three times each year; and most important places she kept it in her memory and constantly had it on her lips. She slept for barely two hours at night, and then not on the bed, but on the ground, on a thin mat. She said that we always need to stay awake, because we don’t know at what hour the thief will come.

She also taught the girls who served her to such an ascetic lifestyle; but she persuaded many young men to live in purity and preserve virginity. She acquired many unfaithful souls for Christ and brought them to God.

After living for seven years in Carthage, Melania wanted to see the holy places located in Jerusalem. Having boarded the ship with her mother and Apinian, who had previously been her husband, and now her spiritual brother and companion, she sailed with them across the sea. The ship on which they sailed, with a favorable wind, safely landed in Alexandria. Here they greeted Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria. Having enjoyed communication with him, they set off again by sea and reached the holy city of Jerusalem. Arriving here, with great tenderness and inexpressible joy in their hearts, they walked around the holy places that our Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God had consecrated with His holy feet. Blessed Melania remained at the Holy Sepulcher every night from the evening to pray. There she sent warm prayers to Christ the Lord, crying, falling to the Holy Sepulcher, hugging and kissing him.

During the stay of Melania and Apinian in Jerusalem, one of their faithful friends sold their remaining Italian estates and sent money to them in Jerusalem.

Having been in Jerusalem, they also wished to go to Egypt to see the desert fathers there and serve them from their estate. They set off by sea, and left their mother, who was very old and tired, in the holy city. At the same time, she was instructed to build a house for their residence on the Mount of Olives.

In Egypt, Melania, with her spiritual brother, Apinian, visited the desert fathers and received great benefit for the soul from their divinely inspired speeches. At the same time they showed great bounties there to those in need. But at the same time, they met quite a few such non-covetous fathers who did not want to take the alms offered to them and fled from gold as from the sting of a snake. Among these there was one named Ephestion, who, in response to their pleas to accept several gold coins, refused it. Walking around his cell and examining the hermit’s property, Melania found only matting and a water pot, some dry bread and a box containing salt. She slowly put the gold in this box and covered it with salt. When they left the hermit, this act of Melania was not hidden from the elder. Having found the gold, he ran after them, loudly exclaiming for them to stop and wait for him. When they stopped, the elder showed them the gold he was holding in his hand and said:

I don’t need this: I don’t know what to use it for; take your stuff back.

They answered:

If you don't need it, give it to others.

But the elder objected:

Who needs this here, and for what? You see that the space here is empty.

They still did not want to take their gold back from the elder, and then he threw it into the river and returned to his cell.

After this, the travelers arrived again in Alexandria, then in Nitria 10, everywhere bypassing the dwellings of the hermits, like bees flying around different colors and those who collect from them. Then they returned to Jerusalem, enriched with many useful edifications received from the desert saints. And, as they hoped, they found a ready-made house for themselves at the Mount of Olives. There they settled.

Melania shut herself up in a cramped cell, making a covenant so that neither she would see anyone, nor would anyone see her. Only once a week did her mother and spiritual brother Apinian visit her. She spent fourteen years in such seclusion. At this time, Melania’s mother passed away, full of good deeds and good hope. The saint, having performed the proper remembrance for her deceased mother, again shut herself up in an even smaller and very dark room, and spent one year in it. Her fame spread everywhere, and many began to come to her for spiritual benefit. Then Melania came out of seclusion to serve the salvation of others. She set up a monastery, gathering over ninety girls. Many obvious sinners gathered to her, and, guided by her on the path of repentance, they began to lead godly lives. Melania chose an abbess for her monastery, but she herself began to serve everyone like a slave and took care of everyone like a mother. She taught the sisters various virtues, firstly - purity, then - love, without which not a single virtue can be perfect, then humility, obedience, patience and kindness. For their edification, she told them the following story. “A certain young man once came to one great elder, wanting to be his student. And the elder, showing from the very beginning what a student should be, ordered him to take a rod and firmly beat the pillar standing at the gate, jumping on it and kicking it The disciple, obeying the elder, hit the soulless pillar, how much strength did he have?

Did this pillar that you struck resist you and were you offended? Did he run from his place or rush at you?

The young man answered:

The elder said then:

Beat him harder, accompany the blows with the most cruel words: annoy, reproach, dishonor, revile him and slander him in every possible way.

When the young man did this, the elder asked:

Was the reviled pillar angry with you and said anything against you? did he murmur or reproach you?

The young man answered:

No, father! and how can an insensitive and soulless pillar become angry?

The elder said again:

If you can be like this pillar, without being angry with those who beat you, without running from blows, without contradicting those who command you, without objecting to reproaches with reproaches, if in the midst of all sorrows you remain constantly unshakable, like a pillar, then come and be our student. Otherwise, don’t come close to our doors.

With such a story, the blessed one taught the sisters patience and kindness, and they were edified by this example, which was to their benefit. Teaching and instructing the sisters of the monastery she created, Saint Melania at the same time built a magnificent church in that monastery and tried to have the church consecrated with the holy relics of the prophet Zechariah, the first martyr Stephen and the forty martyrs.

After these events, her spiritual brother, who had previously been her husband in the flesh, blessed Apinian, pleasing the Lord God, went to Him in the monastic rite. Melania buried him with honor and then herself began to prepare for the outcome, expecting an imminent death. But God's Providence extended her life for the salvation of others. After the death of Apinian, Melania created another monastery and spent the last of her property on this, giving everything to the glory of God. Thus, she who had long ago acquired poverty in spirit became poor in body.

At that time, a message came to Melania from Constantinople, from her uncle Volusian the Roman. This Volusian, who then received the post of Roman anfipat 11, was sent to Byzantium with a special assignment from the Western emperor. Arriving in the East, he wished to see his niece, the Monk Melania. Therefore, he deliberately sent to her in Jerusalem, asking her to come to him in Byzantium and see him. At first, Melania did not want to go to her uncle, since he adhered to Hellenic polytheism; but then, on the advice of her spiritual fathers, she went to him, prompted by the hope of converting him to God. Along the way, in all the cities where the saint stopped, great honor was given to her everywhere, for God glorifies those who glorify Him. She was met by bishops and priests, city elders and people, and everyone accepted her with love, as if she were a stranger from heaven, because the light of her virtues and holy life shone throughout the world. In the capital itself, she was also received with great honor by Tsar Theodosius the Younger, his queen Eudokia and Patriarch Proclus. She found her uncle Volusian ill. Seeing her, my uncle was greatly surprised by her monastic attire and mortification of the flesh, for her face had withered from long fasts and labors and her former beauty had faded. And Volusian exclaimed:

What have you become, beloved Melania!

But why talk for so long? Partly the personality of Melania, partly Saint Proclus 12, but most of all the God-inspired conversation of the pious servant of Christ and her useful admonitions soon made it so that her uncle rejected Hellenic wickedness and accepted holy baptism. Having been honored with the Holy Mysteries, a few days later he gave up his spirit to God and was buried in the hands of Saint Melania.

During her rather long stay in Byzantium, Melania converted many to the right faith from the heresy of Nestorius, which then greatly confused the Church, and also saved many Orthodox from falling away, for the Lord gave her such grace that the heretical, intricate speeches of the Nestorians could not overcome her. . The monk knew the Scriptures perfectly, having spent all the years of her life reading it, and being filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. From morning to evening, various people talked with her and asked her about Orthodoxy, and she gave wise answers, so that the whole capital marveled at her wisdom. Then the blessed one returned to Jerusalem again and, approaching her death, prepared for a good outcome.

She was given the gift of healings, and she healed many diseases. Of these healings performed by her, we will tell about some, as proof of God’s grace infused into her.

Queen Eudokia 13, who named the Venerable Melania her spiritual mother, arrived in Jerusalem, partly to venerate the holy places, partly to visit her spiritual mother.

On the way, she sprained her leg and suffered so much that she could not step. When Saint Melania just touched her leg, her leg became healthy.

One young woman was tormented by a demon, who had sealed her lips so tightly that they could not be opened, she could not utter a word or taste food, and death awaited her - rather from a long deprivation of food than from the torment of a demon. The Monk Melania healed this woman through prayer, anointing her with holy oil. The demon came out of her, and her mouth opened to praise and thank God and, having tasted the food, she became healthy.

Another woman was pregnant and the time had come for her to give birth; but she could not do this, since the child died in her womb. Tormented by terrible pain, she was near death. But Saint Melania helped this woman with her prayers. As soon as a belt was placed on the sick woman’s chest, she was relieved of her burden: a dead fetus came out of her, she felt better, and she began to speak, whereas before she could not utter a single word.

Anticipating her departure to God, the saint toured the holy places in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, in Bethlehem and Galilee. When the feast of the Nativity of Christ arrived, she was at all-night vigil in the den where Christ was born, and there she told one of the sisters, her relative, who was constantly with her, that this was the last time she was celebrating the Nativity of Christ with them. The saint’s relative, hearing such words, began to cry bitterly. Then, on the day of the Holy First Martyr Stephen, Melania was at the all-night vigil in his church, located in the monastery she built. While that sister was reading about the murder of the holy protomartyr, she added to this on her own behalf that she was reading to them for the last time. A great cry then arose between the sisters for her: they realized that the saint would soon leave this world. Melania, according to her custom, consoled them for a long time with her God-inspired speeches and taught them virtues. Then she went to church and began to pray:

Lord my God, whom I chose and loved from the beginning, whom I preferred to a carnal husband, riches, glory and worldly pleasures, to whom from my birth I entrusted my body and soul, for whose sake I indulged in abstinence, so that my bones stuck to my flesh , - Who led My right hand and instructed me by Your inspiration, - and now You will hear my prayerful cry. And may these tears of mine stir up the streams of Thy mercy towards me. Cleanse my sinful defilements, voluntary and involuntary. Prepare for me the path to Yourself without any confusion or obstacles, so that the evil demons of the air do not hold me back. You know, Immortal, our mortal nature. You know, O Lover of Humanity, that there is no man without defilement; There is nothing for which the enemy could not find some fault, even if he lived for one day. But You, Master, having despised all my sins, make me pure at Your Judgment.

So Saint Melania prayed, and, not yet finishing her prayer, she began to experience bodily pain. But, although she was exhausted from illness, she still did not stop her work, went to regular church services and in the morning instructed the sisters with teachings. Then she received communion of the Most Pure and Divine Mysteries from the hands of the Bishop of Eleutheropol 14, who came with the clergy to visit her, and began to await the onset of death. At the same time, she consoled her relative, who bitterly mourned the separation from the saint, as well as all the sisters, and, bidding farewell to everyone with a final kiss, said the following words:

As God wished, it came true.

With these words, she, lying on a simple bed, gave up her spirit into the hands of God, tightly closing her eyes and folding her hands crosswise on her chest 15.

Monks and nuns from all the monasteries located around the holy city gathered for her burial, and sang psalms over her all night, then they buried her with honor. Her holy soul went to the Lord God, whom she loved and for whom she worked diligently all the days of her life. And now, with all the saints, sharing His glory, she also prays for us sinners there to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God in the Trinity. To him be glory forever. Amen.

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1 St. Martyr Lawrence, archdeacon of the Roman Church, suffered martyrdom in 258, being stretched out on an iron grate. His memory is on August 10th.

2 This change in Melania's life occurred in 401.

3 Verina - wife of Emperor Honorius, who ruled the western half of the Roman Empire from 396-423.

4 Sicily is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea near the southwestern tip of the Apennine Peninsula (Italy).

5 Of course, the Goths, the people of the Germanic tribe, who besieged Rome in 408, 409 and 410 and finally plundered it.

6 Lot is the nephew of the ancestor of the Jews - Abraham. Separating from his uncle, he settled with his family in Sodom, a city located in the valley on the site of which the Dead Sea was formed. When the Sodomites angered God with their sins and God condemned Sodom to destruction, Lot, forewarned by an Angel, along with his wife and daughters, fled from Sodom.

7 The city of Nola was located in southern Italy, in Campania. St. Paulinus was bishop of Nola from 409-431. His memory is in the month of January on the 23rd day,

8 In northern Africa, almost opposite Italy.

9 Alypius was elected to the episcopal see in Tagaste in 391

10 Nitria is a mountain south of Alexandria, west of the Nile River, near the Libyan Desert. The name of the mountain came from nitrate or saltpeter in the lakes adjacent to the mountain.

11 Anfipat - the head of the region, which included several provinces.

12 St. Proclus - Patriarch of Constantinople from 434-447.

13 Empress Eudokia is the wife of the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II, who reigned from 408-450.

The Venerable Melania, the first of the noble Romans “from a young age to strive for Christ, thirsting for bodily integrity and wounded by Divine love,” was born into a Christian family. Her parents - eminent and rich people - saw in their daughter an heiress and continuer of the family. At the age of fourteen, Melania was married against her will to the noble young man Apinian. From the very beginning of their life together, the saint begged her husband to live with her in chastity or to let her go unsullied in both body and soul. Apinian answered: “When, at the command of the Lord, we acquire two children as heirs to our property, then together we will renounce the world.” Soon Saint Melania gave birth to a girl, whom the young parents dedicated to God. Continuing to live in marriage, Melania secretly wore a hair shirt and spent her nights in prayer. Melanin's second birth was premature and painful. A boy was born, he was baptized, and he immediately went to the Lord. Seeing the suffering of his wife, Blessed Apinian asked God to save the life of Saint Melania and vowed to spend the rest of their life together in chastity. Having recovered, the saint took off her silk clothes forever. Soon their daughter died. Meanwhile, the parents of the saints opposed their desire to devote themselves to God. Only when Melania’s father suffered a fatal illness, he asked them for forgiveness and admonished them to follow the path they had chosen, asking them to pray for him. The saints immediately left the city of Rome, and a new life began for them, entirely devoted to serving God. Apinian was 24 years old at that time, and Melania was 20. They began to visit the sick, receive strangers, and generously help the poor. They went around prisons, places of exile and mines and freed the unfortunate people who were being held there for debt. Having sold estates in Italy and Spain, they generously helped the elders and monasteries, buying lands for the latter in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Phenicia and Palestine. Many temples and hospitals were built with their funds. The churches of the West and East received benefits from them. When they left their homeland and sailed to Africa, a strong storm began during the voyage. The sailors said that this was the wrath of God, but blessed Melania told them to surrender the ship to the will of the One who carried it. The waves washed the ship onto an island on which stood a city besieged by barbarians. The besiegers demanded ransom from the residents, threatening the city with destruction. The saints contributed the necessary money, and thereby saved the city and its inhabitants from destruction. Arriving in Africa, they also provided assistance to all those in need. With the blessing of local bishops, they donated to churches and monasteries. At the same time, Saint Melania continued to humble her flesh with strict fasting, and strengthened her soul by incessantly reading the Word of God, rewriting sacred books and distributing them to the poor. She sewed the hair shirt herself and wore it without taking it off.

The saints stayed in Africa for 7 years, and then, freed, according to the commandment of Christ, from all their wealth, they headed to Jerusalem. Along the way, in Alexandria, they were received by the holy Bishop Cyril and met in the temple with the holy elder Nestorius, who had the gift of prophecy and healing. The elder turned to them, comforting and calling for courage and patience in anticipation of the Heavenly Glory. In Jerusalem, the saints distributed their remaining gold to the poor and spent their days in poverty and prayer. After a short trip to Egypt, where the saints visited many desert fathers, Saint Melania secluded herself in a lonely cell on the Mount of Olives, only occasionally seeing Saint Apinian. Gradually, a monastery arose near the cell, where up to ninety virgins gathered. Saint Melania, out of humility, did not agree to be his abbess and continued to live and pray alone. In her teachings, Saint Melania called on the sisters to watch and pray, to guard their thoughts and, first of all, to kindle love for God and for each other, observing the holy Orthodox faith and purity of soul and body. She especially exhorted them to be obedient to the will of God. Recalling the words of the apostle, she advised fasting “not with grief or under compulsion: for God loves those who give willingly.” Through her efforts, a chapel and an altar were built in the monastery, where the relics of the saints were buried: the prophet of God Zechariah, the holy First Martyr Stephen and the Forty Saints who suffered torment in Sebaste. By this time Saint Apinian had departed to the Lord. Saint Melania buried the relics of the blessed one and spent about four years near this place in fasting and unceasing prayer.

The saint wished to build a monastery on the Mount of the Ascension of Christ. The Lord blessed her plan by sending a lover of Christ who gave funds for the monastery. Receiving them with joy, Saint Melania accomplished this great deed in one year. In the monastery she erected, holy men began to tirelessly offer their prayers to God in the Church of the Ascension of Christ. Having completed her labors, the blessed one left Jerusalem, going to Constantinople to visit her pagan uncle, in the hope of saving his soul. On the way, she prayed at the relics of St. Lawrence, at the site of his martyrdom, and received a good omen. Arriving in Constantinople, the saint found her uncle there in illness and talked with him. Under the influence of her conversations, the patient abandoned paganism and died a Christian. At that time, many residents of the capital were confused by the heretical teachings of Nestorius. Saint Melania received everyone who turned to her for admonition. Many miracles happened through the prayers of the blessed one. Returning to her monastery, the saint of God felt the approach of death and announced this to the presbyter and sisters. In deep sorrow and tears they listened to her last instructions. Having asked for their prayers and commanded them to keep themselves pure, having partaken of the Holy Mysteries with joy and jubilation, Saint Melania meekly and calmly gave up her soul to the Lord. This was in 439.