The Monk Gennadii of Kostroma and Liubimograd
Commemorated on January 23
The Monk Gennadii
of Kostroma and Liubimograd, in the world Grigorii, was born in the city of
Mogilev into a rich family. He early displayed love for the church, and his
frequent visits to monasteries evoked the dismay of his parents. Grigorii
himself was himself however firmly resolved to devote himself to God, and
having changed over into tattered clothing, he secretly left his parental home
and journeyed to Moscow. Having visited the Moscow holy places, he did not
however here find it suitable in spirit and so set out to the Novgorod region.
The destiny of the future ascetic was decided by an encounter with the Monk
Alexander Svirsky (Comm. 30 August). With his blessing, Grigorii set off to the
Vologda forest to the Monk Kornilii of Komel'sk (Comm. 19 May), and was
monasticised by him with the name Gennadii. Together with Saint Kornilii,
Gennadii moved on to the Kostroma forest. Here, on the shores of Lake Sura, in
about the year 1529, there emerged the monastery of the Transfiguration of the
Lord, afterwards called "the Gennadiev monastery". Having become
hegumen, the Monk Gennadii did not slacken his monastic efforts, and together
with the brethren he went out to the monastery tasks: he chopped wood, carried
firewood, made candles and baked prosphora. A beloved concern of the monk was
the writing of icons, with he adorned his new monastery. He wore heavy chains
constantly.
For his holy life the
Monk Gennadii received from the Lord the gift of perspicacity and
wonderworking. Journeying on monastic affairs to Moscow, at the house of the
boyar-noble Roman Yur'evich Zakhar'in, the saint predicted to his daughter
Anastasia, that she would become tsaritsa. And actually, tsar Ivan the Terrible
chose her for himself as spouse.
The Life of the Monk
Gennadii was written by his disciple, the heguman Aleksei, between the years
1584-1587. In it was inserted the spiritual last-testament, dictated by the
Monk Gennadii himself. In it he commands to observe the monastery ustav (rule)
and to toil constantly, to be at peace with everyone, and to preserve the books
collected at the monastery, while striving to understand their meaning. The
monk appealed: "Strive towards the light, and shun the darkness".
The Monk Gennadii
died on 23 January 1565; on 19 August 1646 occurred his churchly glorification.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
