OLD - Shimonun Maria "Samarskaya" Memories: In the fall of 1999 my wife and I had a difficult situation. The fact is that the wife seems to have become pregnant, but she was not exactly sure. Let's go to antenatal clinic, but the gynecologist made a strange conclusion: "You may be pregnant, but most likely not." We were left at a loss for such "professionalism". Another method accurate result also did not show. At that time, Matushka Maria lived in Optina Hermitage with her cell-attendant, nun Eugenia. My elder sister Galina, the spiritual daughter of my mother, sometimes called them at the monastery. I asked my sister that when she calls Mother Eugenia, she in turn asked her to ask the old woman about our situation. And so Galya calls Optina Pustyn and says to the cell attendant of Mother Maria: "Please ask Mother: is Father Sergius in Tatyana's position or not?" And then he hears a loud mother's voice in the receiver: "A wonderful boy will be born, wonderful!" Our great blessed eldress knew everything. Indeed, in the summer of 2000, we had a wonderful boy who makes us happy all this time. And about our eldest son, even before his birth in 1994, Mother Maria uttered a phrase that was incomprehensible to us then: "A miracle will be born." Only after a few years did we understand its meaning. We still do not cease to be amazed at our eldest son in all respects: both good and bad. When we lived in an apartment, my sister, who went to the old woman in Kinel-Cherkassy, once asked her: "Mother, pray that my brother has his own place." The blessed one answered with a question: "And on what floor does he live: on the fifth, on the eighth, on the first?" Indeed, we rented an apartment on the fifth floor, then bought a "living room" on the eighth, and now we live in a three-room apartment on the first floor. The future was open to mother. And much in our life happened according to her holy prayers. Before she was tonsured into the schema, the eldress lived with a cell attendant (later nun Eugenia) in the Frunze meadow (now Barboshin Polyana), not far from the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius, where I serve. One evening, when my sister and her husband Viktor were at Mother Maria's, and her cell attendant was absent on business, mother told them: "Aidate, go for a walk!" They went out with her into the street, and the eldress took them by the arms and asked: "Take me to the white church." The sister replies: "Mother, there is no white church here." Maria Ivanovna clarifies: "Yes, over there, across the road," and points towards our cathedral under construction (and we served temporarily in a prayer house, where we now have a baptismal). Galya objects: "Yes, it's too late, the gates to the temple are closed." But the old woman does not give up: "And let him," points to his son-in-law, "climb over them and open them to us." The sister was worried that Evgenia would return home, but they were not, and she and Victor took mother back. A few years after the death of my mother, such an incident occurs. In our already built white-stone cathedral ("white church") on the second day after Christmas, Archbishop Sergius was supposed to serve in the evening, but he could not come. The invited priests arrived, we celebrated the festive Divine Service in conciliarity. In a nearby cafe was prepared festive dinner... After supper, I, two more priests and the deacon were brought back to the church, where our outerwear... But the watchmen, not knowing that we would return, closed the gates of the temple. What to do? Other priests decided to call from mobile phone into the hut so that the watchmen would open the large central gates, and I went to the small household gates, which were the only ones during the construction of the cathedral and through which Mother Maria Ivanovna offered to climb over. I am right in a cassock, carefully so as not to catch on, I climb over the gate - and at this time I suddenly remember the words of the old woman: "Let him climb over them and open them to us." So suddenly the words of my mother found real meaning in this curious incident that happened to me.
About the blessing of Vladyka John of Shanghai and his perspicacity, about how Vladyka still helps to take care of the suffering and needy.
A couple of months ago, the Providence of God brought me to amazing person- Mother Maria Potapova. Matushka Maria is intelligent, open-minded in Russian, energetic and hospitable. Faithful companion of the Mitred Archpriest Viktor Potapov. Daughter of a priest, wife of a priest, niece of a bishop.
She comes from an ancient Russian family. Her mother, Anna Mikhailovna, nee Rodzianko, is the granddaughter of Mikhail Rodzianko, the chairman The State Duma third (1907-1912) and fourth (1912-1917) convocations. Pope - the famous archpriest Sergiy Chertkov. The Chertkovs were famous in tsarist Russia for their charity: they opened the first free public library, built in the Voronezh province a Cadet Corps, a school for peasant children, a sugar factory, held railroad between Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. Mother's great-grandfather, Fyodor Chertkov, in his family estate near Voronezh erected a church in the name of the holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, in which he was buried.
After the revolution, the Chertkov family shared the fate of many Russian exiles. During the Second World War, Mother Maria's father ended up in a concentration camp. Having miraculously escaped death, he vowed to serve the Church and people. Was ordained a deacon in 1947, on the feast of the icon Mother of God"Sovereign", and for ten years accompanied Archbishop John of Shanghai on his trips.
Father Sergiy devoted himself to serving the Russian refugees, saving them from persecution after the Second World War. Using his connections at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he helped in the relocation of the Lesninsky convent from communist Yugoslavia to France. His daughters Alexandra, Marina and twins Anna and Maria lived in this monastery under the wing of Vladyka John of Shanghai, his sons acted as altarpieces.
Almost all six children of Archpriest Sergius have linked their lives with the Church. Alexander's eldest daughter worked in Paris at the Voice of Orthodoxy radio station - this radio station broadcast spiritual programs to Russia. Marina - nun in Jerusalem in the Olives nunnery... Anna is an icon painter, wife of Archpriest Vladimir Danilevich.
In the 1970s, Archpriest Sergius was appointed rector of the Nicholas Church in Tehran, where there was no priest for several years. When he learned that many Orthodox Christians were buried here without a funeral service, he began to go around all the graves and read the funeral service for the dead. He was also able to secure the construction of a nursing home in Tehran and a lifelong pension for Russian old people abandoned in a foreign land.
Father Sergius loved Russia very much and prayed for her to the end of his life.
His daughter, like him, devotes a lot of time and energy to caring for the suffering, helping all those in need whom the Lord brings to her. Maria Potapova and her husband also worked for many years in the Committee for the Defense of Persecuted Orthodox Christians in the USSR. Committee members organized meetings, covered print media cases of persecution of believers, collected and sent money, wrote protests to the Soviet embassy.
- Mother Maria, you can study the history of Russia from your family.
Mother smiles back:
I am a small part of a large family. My dad is father Sergiy Chertkov-Trubetskoy. His mother, my grandmother, is Princess Alexandra Nikolaevna Trubetskaya. Great-grandfather - Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko, Chairman of the State Duma. My mum - Native sister Bishop Basil (Rodzianko). My uncle Vladimir Mikhailovich Tolstoy is the grandson of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.
- Your father served ten years as a protodeacon under St. John of Shanghai ...
Yes, dad was with Vladyka for many years. And I was born and spent the first twelve years of my life under Vladyka John. The Pope was his only protodeacon. Then Vladyka was the Western European exarch, and the Pope liked to repeat that he and Vladyka “ravaged” the whole of Europe. The Pope served 50 years, 22 years as a deacon, died as an archpriest.
When he became a priest, he came to church in the middle of the night to have time to perform a proskomedia. I collected all the commemorations from the shelves, remembered everyone I met in my life - thousands of names. He took out particles for hours for each person. And I thought then that it is normal that all priests do this ...
I once asked him when he was already old: "Dad, why are you doing proskomedia for so long?" And he smiled: "Don't you remember who I spent my nights with at the altar?" These were the fruits of Vladyka John of Shanghai.
I grew up next to Vladyka John - a holy man - and I felt his holiness with all my insides. Children feel better than adults.
Vladyka constantly lived in prayer. He was an ascetic, an ascetic, but he was not cut off from the world. He took care of people in an amazing way! Grieving, unhappy families always gathered around him, and he took care of them.
His stomach was sticking out a little, but he ate very little. And I wondered: why does his stomach stick out? And then I found out that he probably wore chains ... Everyone called him barefoot, but I saw him only in sandals on his bare feet. She also knew that he never went to bed. And I looked at his bed and thought: "Oh, how great: this bed never needs to be made!"
I remember well his cell in the Lesninsky Monastery - my sisters and I literally grew up there.
Amazing nuns labored there! Abbess Theodora, in the world Princess Nina Nikolaevna Lvova. The Reverend Mother Magdalene (Grabbe) is an amazing person, very bright. There were many of them ... Have you heard about this monastery?
- Yes, mother. For our readers, I will add a few words about the sisters you mentioned.
The future abbess Theodora was born in Khabarovsk in 1893. As a 20-year-old girl, she voluntarily went to the front of the First World War as a sister of mercy. Tall, strong, beautiful, tireless, she wanted to serve the Fatherland. During civil war married Prince Konstantin Lvov and participated with him in the campaign of the White Army. Eight months after the wedding, her husband died of typhus, and Nina Nikolaevna left Russia with the White Army.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), the princess entered the Lesninsky monastery, which was then in Yugoslavia. She was in charge of the children's orphanage and brought it into a flourishing state - during her management, not a single child died. In 20 years through loving hands More than 500 children passed through the Lesna sisters.
Nun Magdalene, in the world Countess Nina Pavlovna Grabbe, succeeded Abbess Theodora after her repose in 1976. She was known as an expert in patristic literature and asceticism. Thanks to her efforts, the collection of the Valaam Monastery "Clever Deed" - about the Jesus Prayer - was re-published in Russian, English and French.
Matushka Maria, you probably will remember the days spent in this monastery for the rest of your life?
Yes, I am very lucky to have lived there. I remember the Vladyka's chair in the corner of his cell - in it he dozed. Once I was in his cell when he was ill. Mother Theodore came and began to insist that he go to bed even if he was sick, but he refused.
We, girls, served during the service in the Lesna monastery - girls can serve in a convent without going into the altar. My sisters - Anna, Marina - also helped. They did not enter the altar, but did the rest. Throughout the Liturgy we stood - some with a staff, some with a candle - at the open royal doors during bishop service... This is my childhood ... And we participated when the small entrance, when the great entrance ... I remember how during the Liturgy I stood with a basin and a jug for washing the bishop's hands, and they put a handbrake on my shoulder. And Vladyka rinsed his hands, wiped them ... We girls were lucky. We grew up with such childhood memories ...
Vladyka was still engaged in cadets in Cadet Corps in Versailles, a suburb of Paris, he served there.
I usually spent the summer at the Vityazi summer camp. When I became older - in the RSHD (Russian Student Christian Movement). We were very friendly! The Knights gave a sense of the Russian spirit, the RSKhD - more of the church spirit.
Vladyka visited the Knights in the Alps. He lived in a tent in the forest. And I ran away from the camp, came to Vladyka's tent. And he sits - works. Prints. Wherever he went, he always carried his typewriter with him. He was always in business. He took great care of his diocese, of his flock - down to the smallest details of their lives. We even have copies of all his handwritten decrees at home - he was so worried about his flock, it's just amazing, incredible!
And he never chased me away - and for some reason I really wanted to be near him. He treated me to nuts, almonds, and I sat by the tent, on the grass, played with twigs, watched ants, dragonflies.
They said that Vladyka John was a holy fool. But my dad didn't agree with that. Vladyka was simply not like everyone else. Somewhat tongue-tied. Special person.
When I was with him, I knew that he was not like everyone else. When I walked with him - and I was little - he knew how to communicate with children, at their childish level, that the child felt great. There was just an incredible contact!
- Was Vladyka's sagacity manifested in relations with your family?
I have a brother Nikolay, he was very friendly with a 14-year-old French boy Rene. René was a Catholic and he was dying of cancer. Vladyka prayed for him. And then the news came that René had passed away. My brother was very worried - he refused to eat or drink. Parents were worn out, did not know how to help him. We didn't have a telephone at the time. Suddenly - the doorbell rings. I open it - Vladyka stands there and says: "I have come to Kolya."
I took his blessing, and he immediately went to my brother - he didn't even need to show him where to go. And he himself knew how Kolya was worried - he did not need to tell about it, although no one told him about it. I locked myself with my brother in his room and sat with him for a long, long time. I am sure that my brother will remember for the rest of his life how Vladyka consoled him.
Vladyka walked everywhere or traveled to public transport... He could appear to a lonely, unknown, dying person at any time of the day or night, anywhere. How could he know about my brother's feelings? The death of this French boy? We didn't have a phone and he couldn't know. But he knew.
- It is wonderful!
We have had many miracles associated with the Master. My uncle, Vladimir Mikhailovich Tolstoy, told how Vladyka John arrived at the Pokrovsky parish in the city of Nyack, not far from New York. There served a wonderful priest, the rector of this parish, Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy, the author of the wonderful book "The Law of God", which was published and reprinted in huge editions. Patriarch Alexy once said that this desk book all Orthodox, the most published after the Bible.
Father Seraphim was a real shepherd, he gave his whole life to God and people. Absolute unmercenary, he knew all his parishioners, took care of everyone. If he found out that someone was in some kind of grief, trouble, he immediately rushed there and tried to help, console and reinforce. I never stood aside. It was an amazing parish because there was an amazing abbot there. Father Seraphim loved Vladyka very much, and Vladyka loved him.
And so Vladyka served the Liturgy at this parish and had to leave, fly by plane, he was limited in time. He left the temple and suddenly said that he would not go anywhere if they did not find one woman for him. Nyack town is not very big, but the parish is big enough. However, the parish was like one family, and Father Seraphim knew everyone - but no one knew this woman. The parishioners decided that Vladyka was confusing something. Everyone was worried because my uncle had to take Vladyka to the airport. And Vladyka stubbornly resisted, he was so stubborn in a good way, and said that he would not leave until this person was found for him.
The city of Nayack was turned on. Through tenth hands, they somehow found this woman, and my uncle, Vladimir Mikhailovich, took Vladyka John to this lonely unfortunate woman. And so Vladyka got out of the car, went up to her apartment - and she was just about to lay hands on herself. He sat with her for a long time, talked to her, consoled her, and then handed her over to Father Seraphim, who, after that, naturally took care of her.
His uncle took Vladyka to the airport, and they waited for him there - he was not late.
Can you imagine it? In our time, in the XX century, such a person lived among us!
My older sister was very sick as a child. And now she lies in the hospital in again and suddenly hears: knock-knock. What is this sound? And she sees: Vladyka comes up to her, bends down, smiles, blesses. He puts a prosphora on her belly - and disappears! This is the kind of angel who came to comfort the child. He could be at the bedside of a suffering patient at night, when a blizzard sweeps, in bad weather, in a storm.
- What episode in your life with Vladyka do you remember most of all?
I remember how I saw off Vladyka. All alone. I am standing on the platform - and he is already on the train. And he blesses me with both hands - his bishop's blessing.
I often recalled this episode of my life when I grew up. How he blessed me incessantly - even when the doors were closed and the train started ... And he blessed me until the train disappeared from sight. And I'm standing there - such a little girl, alone at the station ...
Now I understand that he blessed me for all my life - about which he already knew everything then. He blessed to give strength and strength. Then I could not imagine that I would live in America, that I would be the wife of a priest. I believe that everything about me was revealed to him: that I would become a mother, and that my husband would serve in the only parish that Vladyka himself founded in America ... And I know that he prays for us, although we are unworthy ...
This is his coming! Do you see these icons? They were in the tent church of Vladyka John on the island of Tubabao in the camp The International Organization refugees, where about 5 thousand Russians from China lived in 1949.
- Do you feel the Master's help in your ministry?
Of course! We feel his presence in this temple. Many people come to ask for help - it is he who brings them. And Vladyka himself helps them. This is not us - this is him.
And through his prayers, we are doing the main thing that the parish should do - helping people, no matter what. And as long as the parish lives like this, everything will go well. And everyone participates in this - all parishioners, we do not need to persuade anyone, to explain anything. It's a way of life.
I remember a time when our charity had not yet been established. One servant of God provided us with a house where we settled the needy. I remember there was such a moment: I did not know where to get the money to feed these people. I often had to buy groceries on a credit card. I didn't want to bother Father Victor with these problems - that was my problem. I didn't say anything to anyone.
- Were there many in need?
Yes. The Lord constantly sends us such people. Even now, we have one homeless family living at home.
And then I felt very bad, because I could not solve the problem with money. V Sunday morning I came to the temple. Vladyka had not yet been glorified, but Father Victor knew that he would soon be glorified and took the liberty of depicting his image on a pillar in the church. At this time was walking Great post... Fr Victor conducted catechetical talks during Great Lent after the Liturgy and the meal, while I stood in the back of the church.
I bought the largest candle that was in the candle box, put it down and said: "Vladyka, give me money!"
And she said nothing more. It was such a short prayer.
Suddenly someone touched my shoulder. I turn around - and this man hands me a check for a large amount and says at the same time: "Here, take it for your poor fellows!"
And I was completely shocked - because no one knew anything. I simply asked Vladyka: "Give me money!" This person saw my surprise. And I told him in a nutshell why I was so surprised. And I remember how he said to me: "Masha, do not pray too often to Vladyka John, otherwise we will all go bankrupt."
And Vladyka often helped me this way ...
One disabled boy suffered a lot: problems with bones and teeth. He was crawling on the floor - he could not walk. We gave his family a home. We needed a lot of money for his treatment. Father Victor asked me: "You want to help these people - but how will you pay for it?" I replied, "Don't worry about this problem!" And when he left, I say to Vladyka: "Vladyka, please help!"
And here we are sitting with this boy and his mother at the dentist, who does not know us at all, does not know the story of this child who came from Russia. Good doctor, expensive. I'm counting mine checkbook and I think: "How will I pay for the treatment?" And suddenly his mother comes, all red, embarrassed, and says: "You don't have to pay anything."
As I found out later, during the treatment, the boy also thought: "How will Mother Maria pay?"
And then the doctor interrupts the treatment procedure and tells the child that he hears his thoughts: "You know, I'm treating you for free!" The mother asks in surprise: "Why?" And the doctor replies with a smile: "But because I like Seryozha!"
And I understand that Vladyka helped me again!
These are such small stories - we had a lot of them ...
This disabled boy began to walk after the glorification of Vladyka John. They threw the Vladyka's mantle over him - and warmth went through his body, pain disappeared. He straightened up and took the first step ...
- You talk to Vladyka as if you were a living person! Why, he actually hears everything ...
Here, in our church - all through the prayers of St. John of Shanghai! I know very well that we should be afraid of the day when the Lord will stop sending us people who need our help. And you need to help not only when it is convenient for you, it is easy to do it when there is money, but when there is no money, when you tear off a piece from yourself - this is help! And then the Lord will never leave!
If a person does not help, when he has no funds, he will not help and when he gets rich. We must be able to help - when we cannot.
- Mother, do you feel the Master's support in temptations?
Somehow I had a great temptation. We did not have enough funds, I could not make ends meet, but I could not refuse to help those in need. And people close to me reproached me for helping everyone right and left and depriving my own children of what they needed. I was embarrassed and worried, I thought: "I guess I'm really crazy ..." Being in this difficult temptation, I even avoided confession and communion.
And at night in a dream Vladyka appeared to me - very strict, in the mantle of a bishop. He strictly ordered me to confess and receive communion. But it was caring severity - from love. He put me on my knees, began to confess. And then he relented, became very kind. Kneel down next to me and said: “So that your heart does not get confused, continue to do what you are doing! Do not worry!"
And he put money in my hands, which suddenly multiplied.
When I woke up, money literally fell on me from the sky - and I was able to make ends meet.
- Father Victor addresses Vladyka in the same way as you do?
He did not have the happiness of knowing Vladyka, but when he heard that Vladyka had died, he was very worried. He revered him very much. Saint John appeared to him in a dream in difficult circumstances, consoled and predicted for him the future public service at the Voice of America radio station, which lasted 30 years. In this work, Vladyka always helped Father Victor, and at work, in the corner, next to the priest, there was always an icon of St. John of Shanghai.
- Thank you, mother Maria, for a wonderful conversation!
God's help to all readers of the Pravoslavie.ru portal and its spiritual leader, Vladyka Tikhon (Shevkunov)!
With Maria Potapova Olga Rozhneva
Shimonakhinya Maria (Kapalina Marya Alekseevna) was born on January 1, 1916 in the village of Belopole, Vologda province in a believer a large family where was the most youngest child... The mother passed away to the Lord when the girl was seven years old. She was the youngest fifth child in the family and the only girl.
The stepmother had her own daughter, and not infrequently they both made fun of the pious girl Maria, who was afraid to even sit down at the table without crossing herself. As the schema-nun herself recalled: “There was some fear of sitting down at the table without praying. I will go to another room, there I will pray, and then I sit down at the table. And so quietly I will make a cross on the table with my finger. And she was afraid to complain to her father. He's not at home all day, and then what will happen to me? " Despite the fact that with early childhood had to do adult work, she never grumbled and trusted in God. This is what brought her up to be a calm, quiet toiler, a simple and loving woman. She tried to calm the whole world around her, to pacify. As a consequence of her children, Maria Alekseevna always called for peace and quiet in the family, in the house.
After long trials of childhood and adolescence, Maria found her destiny in the village of Udelnaya, Ramensky District, Moscow Region. In the spring of 1941 she got married and, in the difficult war years, gave birth to her first son, Nikolai. During the wartime, she constantly attended services at the local church in Udelnaya, worked and raised her son. After the war, she had three more sons. main feature Her life, which is remembered by her contemporaries, Maria always prayed, even during everyday affairs she had a prayer book in her hands. Often guests came to the house, who were always welcome, and she said to them: "Let's pray together." The Lord heard her prayers and helped raise wonderful children.
Metropolitan Clement:“I remember, we were small ... We all got up to pray. The elder brother read the Akathist to Saint Nicholas. We all prayed. We were glad that we could pray. We were glad that we could go to the temple. Great grief there was a time when one of us got sick, and we had to stay at home for the holiday. It has always been a holiday for us to go to church. We saw this example in mom, in parents. This example engendered in us a desire to serve God.
Our parents' generation had good quality- hard work. It helped my mom in life. I didn’t see her, so she could sit and rest. I managed to do everything around the house, feed the children, take them to school, and even manage to go to church ”.
She was a confessor - she was attacked by the authorities, which forbade taking children to church, wearing crosses and threatening to deprive her of motherhood. The family's spiritual father was the elder of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius - Archimandrite Tikhon (in the schema - Schema-Archimandrite Panteleimon (Agrikov) .Mother Maria often took the children to the Lavra, and later they went there on their own, despite the persecution of the authorities, who were trying to turn young people away from the Church. Marya Alekseevna was never idle, she always worked hard and prayed.
Widowed early, Maria Alekseevna came to raise the children with her own hands. Every day it was necessary not only to do homework, but also to earn a living. There was only time to sew clothes at night. It's amazing how the Lord gave her strength for everything.
Metropolitan Demetrius:“She always taught us to work. We come home, I want to take a walk, run somewhere. She says, come on, weed the beds and go. And then she added a prayer - read the akathist, I'll bake pies for you. For every mother, and indeed a Christian in general, it is important correct understanding love. Love is when a person gives himself to another, makes up for another person. "
At that time, Schema-nun Maria suffered a severe heart disease - three heart attacks. The children were still small. Soviet authority wanted to take them, but she constantly prayed that the Lord would not leave them. She admonished them to pray too. Her faith and prayer helped to survive all the trials. She was especially helped by the Most Pure Virgin Mary, who more than once appeared to Mary in the image of the icon of the Virgin Mary "Coronation". The Mother of God instilled in her: "Pray, through prayers the Lord will save both you and the children." Subsequently, the nuns of one nunnery wrote and presented her with such an icon, since there had never been such an icon in the house.
Hospitality was a hallmark of her family. They received everyone, especially the pilgrims, tried to feed and treat them. Many went to them because there was warmth from prayer and love. The comfort in the house was in the simplicity and prayer that mother's love and kindness.
Matushka Maria and her sons very often went to pray at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. Despite the ease of the way to the monastery, it was often not easy for her to get on a pilgrimage with the children. Sometimes they just dropped off the train, having learned that she was going with the children to the monastery.
Years have passed. All sons became hierarchs and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church... The eldest son Nicholas became the archpriest of the Moscow church, and subsequently he was tonsured with the name Paphnutius. The second son Vitaly became Archimandrite Vasily and long time until his death in 2006 he served in Solnechnogorsk. Third son German - now Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsky, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church - an official collegial body executive power Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Holy Synod Russian Orthodox Church, Member of the Supreme Church Council ROC, rector of the Kaluga Theological Seminary. The fourth son Aleksey is Metropolitan Dimitri of Tyumen and Tobolsk, rector of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary.
The whole life of Schema Nun Mary was a selfless service to God. Devotion to the will of God brought her in 2003 to St. Nicholas Chernoostrovsky convent, where her monastic tonsure was opened, and then she was received a schema. Having such a prayer book in the monastery, the monastery was spiritually enriched, her life and her prayers were an example not only for the sisters of the monastery, but also for all people who knew her.
Once Schema-nun Mary was asked what kind of instruction she would give to today's youth? She said very simply: “Everyone should be in faith, in love, never quarrel. And so that no one would say: "I do not love him." People are all good, in order to understand this, you have to be good yourself ... ”.
Schema-nun Maria is a modern ascetic of piety. "Light for men is a monastic life" - wrote the God-wise author of the Ladder. The light of the life of Schema-nun Mary will shine and support us until the end of our days.
Our readers write about Schema-nun Maria (Matukasova,† January 14, 2000).
I read about Mother Maria (Matukasova) in Blagovest already, probably in 2003. People wrote about how they received God's help and healing through their prayers to Mother. I really wanted to read a book about Schema-nun Mary, which, unfortunately, I have never seen. And the next day in the store of the Resurrection Monastery, I bought the last book "Blessed Schema-nun Maria". I read it in three days, fell in love with Mother Maria very much and thanks to her began to church, learn to get rid of sins.
Then I (forgive me, Lord!) Smoked, my husband did not come home for several days. Once, in such a nervous state, she began to pray to Mother and suddenly, as if she took a strong sedative, she felt so calm in my soul.
One day my daughter fell ill due to my sins. I prayed hard for a week, went to church, then confessed and received the Holy Communion. And on the night after Communion I see in thin dream: I rush on the train through my life! The train stops every now and then, and every time I see myself of a different age, from six or seven to this day, and at every station of my life I remember some unconfessed sin. And in the same subtle dream I seem to open my eyes and see Mother Mary in schematic vestments. She stands over me and cleans something inside me. And before leaving, mother approached my children, son and daughter. After that, everything began to improve with us, and the daughter stopped being ill.
Nikolushkina water
The next time, again after Holy Communion, I went to bed, and I myself thought: Mother said, it's good when you always stand in one place in the church. I always stand near the icon of the Mother of God "Satisfy my sorrows" and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Church of Peter and Paul. I fall asleep ... and feel as if I am flying through some kind of tunnel and find myself, probably, in the Heavenly Church of Peter and Paul. I am sitting in some waiting room, there are also a man and a woman: their son fought somewhere in " hot spot”And disappeared. They waited for the news: it turns out that everything is fine, the son was found and will soon be at home.
And I find myself near my favorite icons. Looking at Royal gates: above and below I see light. And I understand that at the Throne of God they are now praying for me and my family, and I myself begin to pray. A very energetic, young - about thirty-three - mother Maria approaches, in a kerchief, dressed in a quilted jacket, tied either with a rope or a belt. She hugs me, greets me, calls me Olga. Two men let my grandmother down: she is in a white shirt, with a cross on her chest, with a simple hair. Mother Maria points to me: "This is your granddaughter!" And then my mother says to me: "Now I will teach you how to pray." He takes a ladle and brings it to the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, water pours into the ladle from the icon in streams. Mother shows how to wash your face, neck and chest with this water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and drink with prayer.
The next day I went to my friend's house, and she gave me a bottle of water from the spring of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker! She says she wanted to remove this bottle, but suddenly the thought came: I must give Olya ... I drank this water and washed myself in reality - and thanked St. Nicholas and dear Mother.
Tooth ache ...
Somehow my tooth ached. I think, and so there are few teeth left, do they really have to be removed again! I ask: "Mother, help!" And in my dream I hear: Mother in schematic vestments moves away from me and grumbles: "Mother, mother! .. She herself knows what to do ..." - and goes to the children. She even approached the cat that gave birth to eight kittens that evening and ... disappeared.
The tooth stopped hurting, and I realized that there was nothing to pull the saints of God over for trifles, they pray for the whole world, for all the suffering.
Mother Maria defended
I'll also tell you how Mother saved me from death.
One day the mother-in-law calls and says that she is very ill, her throat hurts. And I think to myself: "You do not love our daughter, you scold - so the Lord punished you!" Is it my business to argue who the Lord is punishing for! .. She herself immediately received the punishment.
As soon as I thought badly about my mother-in-law, I wanted to eat chalk. After the birth of children, I ate it in packs. I found a piece and ate it. Immediately, for some reason, I felt bad, I went to bed with my daughter and fell asleep. I wake up from a terrible fever, the temperature is about forty, I am pounding from chills. I feel: I am dying ... With the last bit of strength, almost losing consciousness, I prayed to my mother. Immediately I see: near the icons, where I had a cassette with a film about Mother Mary, a light appeared: not from a light bulb and not sunny, there is no such thing on earth ... I lie half-turned and am afraid to turn around. In my mind I say that I feel very bad, and I feel a touch, as if warmth is spreading all over my body. After a few minutes, the light went out, and I felt better. In the morning I was able to go to church, defended (or rather, served) the Liturgy, and in two days everything was over. It turned out that the crayon was poisonous, from cockroaches, and I had severe poisoning.
Blessed Schema-nun Mary, pray to God for us!
Olga Davydova, Samara
Lydia, Samara
On March 15/28, 1908, in Kuibyshev (Samara), a daughter was born to Ivan and Natalia Matukasov, the girl was named Maria. Soon the family moved to Aktyubinsk, here Ivan got a job as a machinist, Natalya raised her daughter and was engaged in housekeeping, Maria studied at a Russian-Kyrgyz school. In 1917, Ivan lost his job, Natalia and Maria were forced to return home. Maria studied at school for only 5 years. From the autobiography of Eldress Maria: “... I was alone with my mother - our dad ... did not return. At school I studied 5 classes, and from the age of 12 I went to work - knitted with a fist ... Then I took courses in accountants and worked as an accountant. And at school I also worked for 5 years - I taught children to sew and embroider (and prayer). I believed in God all the time and gave icons to children and read prayers. At the age of 23 I felt that God was calling me with His prayer and began to pray strongly and understand what was revealed to me ”. It is known that from February 1944 to March 1945, Mother Maria was imprisoned. In the postwar years, Maria took upon herself the feat of foolishness. Since the beginning of the 60s, the eldress lived at the Holy Ascension Church in the regional center of Kinel-Cherkassy, Samara region.
She always possessed humility, perspicacity, the wisdom of life given to Christ ... Her soul was sensitive to the grief of others.
The first thing that struck her was humility. Possessing such a gift of wisdom and prophecy, she considered herself only a weak old woman in cropped felt boots. Everything was alien to her, unnecessary, unnecessary. She just wanted the people who came to her to learn to love. And she had the patience to teach people this most difficult science.
One more characteristic feature there was a genuine, far from pharisaic churchliness. She carried out her ministry in the Church and for the Church. For the last 40 years of her life, she lived exclusively at the temple. Mary was a cell of the church organism and without church service she gasped. She drew strength from liturgical prayer and communion.
In addition, Maria Ivanovna was gifted with artistic talents in kind. She painted a beautiful icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov. But the artistic make-up of the soul did not become an obstacle on the way to the difficult feat, which she took upon herself - foolishness for Christ's sake. This most difficult feat did not isolate her from people. On the contrary, she seemed to dissolve in the people who so needed spiritual help ...
Outwardly, she was a small sprout, a beggar, surrounded by people. The face is surprisingly noble, beautiful, very Russian. Large grey-blue eyes, a small, regular-shaped nose, a wonderful oval of the face. Everything is miniature, spiritualized, airy, light, unearthly ... The past, the present, the future unfold before her into a single whole, the Lord Himself reveals everything to her ... How much peace and grace Maria Ivanovna brought with her! How many blessed by God healings were sent for her holy prayers.
January 23/5, 1998 with blessing Holy Patriarch Of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, Maria Ivanovna Mutasova was tonsured into a schema with the name Maria in honor of Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene by the schema-abbot Elijah, the confessor of the monastery, in the temple of Hilarion the Great Monastery of the Holy Presentation of the Optina Hermitage.
Not long before her death, on January 3, 2000, together with her cell-attendant, nun Eugenia, Eldress Maria arrived at our Vyshnevolotsk Holy Kazan monastery. She said: "I will stay with you ... everything is dear here ... I came to Lyubushka" ...
Mother lived in the monastery for only twelve days, and these days (before she fell seriously ill) for her and for the monastery sisters passed in joy and consolation ... Before getting seriously ill, she asked to be taken to the chapel where she was buried blessed Lyubushka. Near the chapel, she prayed in silence for half an hour. Then she asked me to take her to her cell ... Mother knew the hour of her death and said goodbye to her neighbors and the sisters of the monastery in advance ... The next morning, Mother Maria fell ill - a stroke on the right side.
Schema-nun Maria died on January 1/14, 2000 in the Vyshnevolotsk Kazan convent of the Tver diocese. In the chapel in the name of the saints Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, next to the eldress Lyubushka in January 2000, another burial vault appeared.
