Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1074, Part 1: The Death of Theodosius
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В лѣто 6582. Федоси, игуменъ Печерьскый, преставися. Скажемь о успении его мало. Федосий бо обычай имяше, приходящю бо постьному времени, в недѣлю масленую, вечеръ, бо по обычаю целовавъ братью и поучивъ ихъ, како проводити постьное время, въ молитвахъ нощьных и дневныхъ, и блюстися от помыслъ скверныхъ, и от бѣсовьскаго насѣянья. «Бѣси бо, — рече, — всѣвають черноризьцемь помышлениа, похотѣния лукава, вжагающе имъ помыслы, тѣмьже врежаеми бывають имъ молитвы. Да приходящая таковыя мысли вьзбраняти […] знамениемь крестнымь, глаголюще сице: „Господи Иисусе Христе, Боже нашь, помилуй насъ, аминъ“. И к симъ вьздержание имѣти от многаго брашна; въ ѣденьи бо мьнозѣ и въ питьи безмернѣ вьзрастають помысли лукавии, помысломъ же вьзьрастьшимь стваряеться грѣхъ». «Тѣмже, — рече, — противитися бѣсовьскому дѣйству и пронырьству ихъ, и блюстися от лѣности и от многаго сна, и бодру быти на пѣние церковьное, и на предания отецьская и на почитания книжная. Паче же имѣти во устѣхъ псаломъ Давидовъ подабаеть черноризьцемь — симь бо прогонити бѣсовьское уныние. Паче же всего имѣти любовь в себе к мѣншимь и кь старѣйшимъ покорение и послушание, […] старѣйшимь же […] кь мѣншимь любовь и наказание. Образъ бывати собою вьздержаниемь и бдѣньемь, и хожениемь смиренымь, и тако наказывати и мѣньшая, утѣшивати я, и тако проводити постъ».
Глаголашеть бо сице, яко «Богъ далъ есть намъ сию 40 дний на очищение души; се бо есть десятина, от лѣта даема Богу: дний бо есть от года до года 300 и 60 и 5 дний, и от сихъ дний десятый день вьздаяти Богу — десятину, еже есть постъ си четырѣдесятный, в ня же дни очистившися душа, празнуеть свѣтло вьскресение Господне, веселящеся о Бозѣ. Постьное бо время очищаеть убо умъ человѣку. Пощение бо исперва проображено бысть: Адаму не вкусити от древа единого; пости бо ся Моисѣй дний 40, сподоби бо ся прияти законъ на горѣ Синайстѣй и вѣдѣвъ славу Божию; постомъ Самуила мати роди; постивьшеся ниневгитянѣ гнѣва Божия избыша; постився, Данилъ видѣнья сподобися великаго; постився Илья акы на небо взятъ бысть и в пищю породную; постившеся трие отроци угасиша силу огненую; постивься Господь дний 40, намъ показа постное время».
Постомъ апостоли искорениша бѣсовьское учение; постомъ явишася отци наши акы свѣтила в мирѣ и сияють и по смерти, показавше труды великыя и вьздьрьжания, яко сей великий Антоний, и Евьфимий, и Сава и прочии отци, ихже и мы поревнуемь, братье». Сице поучивъ братью и цѣловавъ вся по имени, и тако изиидяше из манастыря, возмя мало коврижекъ. И вшедъ в пещеру, и затворяше двери пещеры и засыпаше пьрьстью, и не глаголаше никомуже. Аще ли будяше нужное орудье, то оконцемь мало бѣсѣдоваше в суботу или в недѣлю, а по иныи дни пребываше в постѣ и въ молитвѣ, и вьздержашеся крѣпко. И прихожаше в манастырь в пятокъ на канунъ Лазоревъ, в сий бо день кончаеться постъ 40-ный, начинаеться от перваго понедѣлника наставшии Федоровѣ недѣлѣ, кончаеть же ся в пятокъ Лазоревъ; а Страстная недѣля уставлена есть поститися страсти ради Господня.
Федосьеви же пришедшю по обычаю, цѣлова братью и празнова сь ними недѣлю Цвѣтную, и дошедъ великаго дни Вьскресениа, по обычаю празновавъ свѣтло, впаде в болезнь. И разболѣвшюся ему и болѣвшю ему дний 5, по семь, бывшу вечеру, и повелѣ изьнести ся на дворъ. Братья же, вземше ̀и на санехъ, и поставиша ̀и прямо церкви. Онъ же повелѣ братью собрати всю. Братья же удариша в било, и собравшеся вси. Онъ же рече имъ: «Братье моя, и отци мои, и чада моя! Се азъ отхожю от васъ, якоже яви ми Господь в постьное время, в пещерѣ ми сущю, изыити от свѣта сего. Вы же кого хощете игуменомь поставити себѣ; да и азъ благословение подалъ быхъ ему?» Они же рекоша ему: «Ты еси отець намъ всѣмъ, да его же изволиши самъ, то намъ будеть отець и игуменъ, и послушаемь его, яко и тебе». Отець же нашь Федосий рече: «Шедше кромѣ мене, наречете, егоже хощете, кромѣ двою брату, Николы и Игната; въ прочихъ кого хощете, от старѣйшихъ даже и до меншихъ». Они же, послушавъше его, отступивше мало кь церкви, сдумавьше, и послаша два брата, глаголюще сице: «Егоже изволить Богъ и твоя честная молитва, егоже тобѣ любо, того нарци».
Федосий же рече имъ: «Да аще от мене хощете игумена прияти, то азъ створю вамъ, но не по своему изволению, но по Божию строенью». И нарече имъ Якова прозвутера. Братьи же нелюбо бысть, глаголюще, яко «Не здѣ есть постригълъся»; бѣ бо Ияковъ пришелъ сь Летьца с братомъ своимъ Павломъ. И начаша братья просити Стефана деместника, суща тогда ученика Федосьева, глаголюще, яко «Се сь есть вьздраслъ подъ рукою твоею и […] тебе послужилъ есть, сего нынѣ вдай». Рече же имъ Федосий: «Се азъ по Божию повелению нареклъ бѣхъ вам Якова; се же вы своею волею створити хощете». И послушавъ ихъ, и предасть имъ Стефана, да будеть имъ игуменъ. И благослови Стефана и рече ему: «Чадо! Се предаю ти манастырь, блюди с опасением его, якоже устроихъ и въ службахъ, то держи. Преданья манастырьская и устава не измѣняй, но твори вся по закону и по чину манастырьскому». И по семь вземше ̀и братья, и несоша ̀и в кѣлью и положиша ̀и на одрѣ. И шестому дни наставшю, и болну сущю велми, приде к нему Святославъ сь сыномъ своимъ Глѣбомъ.
И сѣдящима има у него, рече ему Федосий: «Се отхожю свѣта сего и се предаю ти манастырь на сблюденье, еда будеть что смятение в немь. Се поручаю Стефану игуменьство, не давай его въ обиду». И князь, цѣловавъ его, и обѣщася пещися манастыремь, и отиде от него. Семому же дни пришедшю, изнемогающю Федосьеви, и призва Стефана и братью и нача имъ глаголати сице: «Аще по моемь отшествии свѣта сего, аще буду Богу угодилъ, и приялъ мя будеть Богъ, то по моемь отшествии манастырь ся начнеть строити и прибывати в немь, то вѣжьте, яко приялъ мя есть Богъ. Аще ли по моемь животѣ оскудѣвати начнетьь манастырь […] черноризьци, потребами манастырьскыми, то вѣдуще будете, яко не угодилъ буду Богу». И се ему глаголющю, плакахуся братья, глаголюще: «Отче! Моли за ны Господа; вѣмы бо, яко Богъ труда твоего не презрѣ». И прѣсѣдѣша братья у него ту нощь всю, и наставшю дни осмому, въ вторую суботу по Пасцѣ въ 2 час дни, и предасть душю в руцѣ Божии мѣсяца мая въ 3 день, индикта въ 11 лѣто. И плакашася по немь братья.
Бѣ же Федосий заповѣдалъ братьи положити ся в пещерѣ, идѣже показа труды многы, и рекъ сице: «В нощи похраните тѣло мое», якоже и створиша. Вечеру бо приспѣвшю, вся братья вземше тѣло его и положиша ̀и в пещерѣ, проводивьше сь пѣсньми, и сь свѣщами, честьно, на хвалу Господу нашему Иисусу Христу.
Стефану же предержащю манастырь и блаженое стадо, яже бѣ совокупилъ Феодосий... Таки черноризьци, аки свѣтила в Руськой земли сияху: ово бо бяху постьници, овии же на бдѣние, овии же на кланяние коленьное, овии на пощение чересъ день и чересъ два дни, овии же ядяху хлѣбъ с водою, инии же зелье варено, и друзии сыро. В любви пребывающе, мѣншии покоряющеся старѣйшимъ, не смѣюще пред ними глаголати, но все с покорениемь и с послушаниемь великомъ. И тако же и старѣйшии имяху любовь к меншимъ, наказаху и утѣшающе аки чада вьзлюбленая. Аще который братъ впадеть в кое любо согрѣшение, и утѣшаху ̀и, и епитемью единого брата раздѣляху 3-е или 4 за великую любовь. Такова бо бяше любовь в братьи той и вьздержание велико. Аще братъ етеръ вънъ идяше изь манастыря, и вся братья имяху о томъ печаль велику и посылають по нь, приводяху брата кь манастырю и, шедше, вси покланяхуся игумену, и умолять игумена и приимаху в манастырь брата с радостью. Таци бо бѣша любовници, и вьздѣрьжници. От нихъ же намѣню нѣколико мужь чюдьныхъ.
Первый Дѣмьань прозвутерь, бяше постьникъ и вьздерьжьник, яко развѣе хлѣба и воды ясти ему до смерти своей. Аще бо коли кто принесяше дѣтищь боленъ, кацимъ любо недугомъ одерьжимъ, приношаху в манастырь, или свѣршенъ человѣкъ, кацимъ любо недугомъ одръжим, прихожаше в манастырь кь блаженому Федосьеви, и повелѣваше сему Дѣмьяну молитву творити над болящимъ. И абье творяше молитву и масломъ святымъ помазаше, и абье исцѣлѣваху приходящии к нему. Единою же ему разболѣвшюся, и конѣць прияти лежащю ему в болести, и приде к нему ангелъ въ образѣ Федосьевѣ, даруя ему царство небесное за труды его. По семь же приде Федосий съ братьею, и сѣдоша у него, оному же изнемогающю, вьзрѣвъ на игумена и рече: «Не забывай, игумене, еже ми еси ночесь обѣщалъ». И разумѣ Федосий великий, яко видѣние видѣ, и рече ему: «Брате Дѣмьяне! Еже ти есмь обѣщалъ, то ти буди». Онь же смѣживъ очи и предасть духъ в руцѣ Божии. Игумен же и братья похоронивше тѣло его.
Тако же и другый братъ, именемъ Еремѣй, иже помняше крещение земли Руськой. Сему даръ данъ от Бога: проповѣдаше, провидѣ будущая. И аще кого видяше в помышлении, обличаше втайнѣ и наказаше блюстися от дьявола. Аще который братъ мысляше изыити из манастыря, узряше и, пришедъ к нему, и обличаше мысль его и утѣшаше брата. И аще кому речаше, любо добро, любо зло, сбывашеться старцево слово.
Бѣ же и другий братъ, именемь Матфѣй, той бѣ прозорливъ. Единою ему стоящю въ церкви на мѣстѣ своемь, и вьзведе очи свои, и позрѣ по братьи, иже стоять, поюще, по обѣими сторонама, и видѣ обьходяща бѣса въ образѣ ляха в лудѣ, носяща въ приполѣ цтвѣтокъ, еже глаголеться лѣпокъ. И обьходя подлѣ братью, взимая из лона цьвѣтокъ и вѣржаше на кого любо. Аще прилпяше кьму цтвѣтокъ поющих от братья, и тъ, мало стоявъ и раслабевъ умомъ, вину створивъ каку любо, исходяше изь церкви, и шедъ в кѣлью и спаше, и не възвратяшеся въ церковь до отпѣтья. Аще ли верже на другаго, и не прилпяше к нему цтвѣтокъ, стояше бо крѣпко въ пѣньи, дондеже отпояху утренюю, и тогда идяше в кѣлью свою. И се видя, старѣць повѣда братьи своей. И пакы же сий старѣць виде се: по обычаю бо сему старцю отстоявшю утренюю, братьи отпѣвши заутрѣнюю, предъ зорями идоша по кѣльямь своимъ, сий же старѣць послѣди исхожаше ись церкви.
Идущю же ему единою, и сѣде, почивая, подъ биломъ, бѣ бо кѣлья его подале церкви, и види се, акы толпа поиде от врать. И вьзведе очи свои, видѣ единого сѣдяіда на свиньи, а другыя текуща около его. И рече имь старѣць: «Камо идете?» И рече бѣсъ, сѣдя на свиньи: «По Михаля по Толбоковича». Старѣць знаменася крестьнымъ знаменьемь и приде в кѣлью свою. И бысть свѣт, и разумѣ старѣць и рече кѣлѣйнику: «Иди, вьспроси, есть ли Михаль в кельи?» И рѣша ему, яко «Выскочилъ есть чресъ столпъе по заутрени». И повѣда старѣць видѣние се игумену и всей братьи. При семь бо старьци Федосий преставилъся, и бысть Стефанъ игуменъ, и по Стефани Никонъ, и сему старцю и еще сущю. Единою ему стоящю на заутрѣнии, вьзведе очи, хотя видити игумена Никона, и видѣ осла, стояща на игумени мѣстѣ, и разумѣ, яко не вьсталъ есть игуменъ.
Тако же ина многа видѣния провидяше старѣць сь, и почи въ старости добрѣ в манастырѣ семь.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
In the year 6582. Theodosius, abbot of the Caves Monastery, fell asleep. Let us tell a little of his falling asleep. Theodosius had a custom: when the season of the fast drew near, on Cheese-fare Sunday, in the evening, he would kiss the brothers, as his custom was, and instruct them how to spend the fast—in prayers by night and by day, and in guarding against impure thoughts and against the sowing of the demons. “For demons,” he said, “sow thoughts in monks, evil desires, setting their minds aflame, and so they are wounded even at their prayers. Such thoughts as come, drive back […] with the sign of the cross, saying thus: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.’ And with this keep restraint from much food; for with much eating and measureless drinking evil thoughts grow, and when thoughts have grown up, sin is made.” “Therefore,” he said, “stand against the demons' working and their cunning, and guard against sloth and much sleep, and be wakeful for the church singing, and for the traditions of the fathers, and for the readings of books. Above all, a monk ought to have the psalm of David in his mouth—with it he drives out the demons' despondency. Above everything, have love within yourself for the lesser, and toward the elders obedience and submission, […] and the elders in turn […] love and teaching for the lesser. Be yourself a pattern in abstinence and vigil, and in humble walking, and so teach the younger also, and comfort them, and so spend the fast.”
For he spoke thus: “God has given us these 40 days for the cleansing of the soul; this is the tithe given to God from the year: for from year to year there are 300 and 60 and 5 days, and of these days the tenth day is to be rendered back to God—the tithe, which is this forty-day fast; in it, when the soul has been cleansed, it keeps the bright feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, rejoicing in God. The season of the fast indeed cleanses the mind of a man. Fasting was foreshadowed from the beginning: Adam was not to taste of the one tree; Moses fasted 40 days and was counted worthy to receive the law on Mount Sinai and beheld the glory of God; by fasting Samuel's mother bore him; the Ninevites fasted and escaped the wrath of God; Daniel fasted and was granted great visions; Elijah fasted and was taken as it were to heaven, to food from the rock; the three youths fasted and quenched the power of the fire; the Lord fasted 40 days and showed us the season of the fast.”
By fasting the apostles rooted out the teaching of the demons; by fasting our fathers appeared as lights in the world and shine even after death, having shown forth great labors and abstinence—like this great Anthony, and Euthymius, and Sabbas, and the other fathers, whom we too strive to imitate, brothers. Having thus instructed the brothers and kissed them all by name, he would then go out of the monastery, taking a few cakes with him. And entering the cave, he would shut the doors of the cave and cover them with earth, and speak to no one. If there were some need, then through the little window he would converse a little, on Saturday or Sunday; on the other days he remained in fasting and in prayer, and kept abstinence strictly. And he came to the monastery on Friday, on the eve of Lazarus; for on that day the forty-day fast ends: it begins from the first Monday, when the week of Theodore comes on, and it ends on the Friday of Lazarus; and Holy Week has been appointed for fasting, for the sake of the Lord's passion.
When Theodosius came, as was his custom, he kissed the brothers and kept Palm Sunday with them, and when the great day of the Resurrection arrived and he had kept it brightly as usual, he fell into illness. He had lain sick 5 days when, evening having come, he bade them carry him out to the courtyard. The brothers took him on a sledge and set him before the church. He bade them gather all the brothers, and the brothers struck the board, and all came together. He said to them: “My brothers, and my fathers, and my children! Behold, I depart from you; as the Lord showed me in the season of the fast, while I was in the cave, that I should go out from this world. Choose whom you wish to set over you as abbot, that I may give him my blessing.” They said to him: “You are father to us all; the one you yourself choose will be father and abbot to us, and we shall obey him as we obey you.” Then our father Theodosius said: “Go apart from me and name whom you wish, except the two brothers Nicholas and Ignatius; among the rest, whom you wish, from the eldest even to the least.” Obeying him, they withdrew a little toward the church, took counsel, and sent two brothers, saying thus: “Whom God and your honored prayer will, the one who is pleasing to you—name him.”
Theodosius said to them: “If you wish to receive an abbot from me, then I will do so—but not by my own wish: by God's ordinance.” And he named for them Yakov the priest. This displeased the brothers, who said, “He was not tonsured here”; for Yakov had come from the Alta with his brother Paul. And the brothers began to ask for Stephen the choirmaster, who was then Theodosius's disciple, saying, “Behold, he grew up under your hand and has served you […]; give him to us now.” Theodosius said to them: “By God's command I had named Yakov for you; this you wish to do by your own will.” And he yielded to them and gave them Stephen, that he might be their abbot. And he blessed Stephen and said to him: “Child! Behold, I entrust the monastery to you; guard it with care. What I established, in the services also—hold that fast. Do not change the monastery's traditions and its rule, but do everything according to the law and the order of the monastery.” Afterward the brothers took him and carried him to his cell and laid him on his bed. And when the sixth day had come, and he was very ill, Sviatoslav came to him with his son Gleb.
And while the two sat with him, Theodosius said to him: “Behold, I depart from this world, and I entrust the monastery to your keeping, lest any disorder arise in it. I commit the abbacy to Stephen; do not let it be wronged.” And the prince kissed him and promised to care for the monastery, and went from him. When the seventh day came, and Theodosius grew weaker, he called Stephen and the brothers and began to speak to them thus: “If, after my departure from this world, I have pleased God and God receives me, then after my departure the monastery will begin to flourish and to grow, and know this, that God has received me. But if after my death the monastery begins to grow poor […] in monks, in the needs of the monastery, then you will know that I did not please God.” While he said these words the brothers wept, saying: “Father! Pray for us to the Lord; for we know that God will not despise your labor.” And the brothers stayed beside him all that night, and when the eighth day came, on the second Saturday after Easter, at the 2nd hour of the day, he gave up his soul into the hands of God, on the 3rd day of the month of May, in the 11th year of the indiction. And the brothers wept for him.
Theodosius had commanded the brothers to lay him in the cave where he had shown so many labors, saying: “Bury my body in the night”; and so they did. When evening came, all the brothers took his body and laid it in the cave, bearing it with hymns and with candles, with honor, to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While Stephen held the monastery and the blessed flock that Theodosius had gathered…, even so the monks shone like lights in the land of Rus': some were fasters, others were given to vigil, others to bowing on the knees, others to fasting every other day and every two days; some ate bread with water, others boiled greens, and still others ate them raw. Abiding in love, the lesser submitted to the elders, not daring to speak before them, but all with humility and great obedience. And likewise the elders had love for the lesser, teaching and comforting them like beloved children. If any brother fell into some sin, they comforted him, and out of great love 3 or 4 of them would divide the penance of one brother. Such was the love in that brotherhood, and such the great abstinence. If some brother went out of the monastery, all the brothers grieved greatly for him and sent after him; they brought the brother back to the monastery, and, coming, all bowed to the abbot and besought the abbot, and received the brother into the monastery with joy. Such were they—men of love and of abstinence. Of these I will name several wondrous men.
The first was Damian the priest, a faster and an abstainer, for he ate nothing but bread and water to the end of his life. Whenever anyone brought a sick child to the monastery, held by whatever ailment, or a grown man, held by whatever sickness, came to the monastery to the blessed Theodosius, he would bid this Damian pray over the sufferer; and at once he said the prayer and anointed him with holy oil, and at once those who came to him were healed. Once when he himself fell ill and lay in sickness near his end, an angel came to him in the form of Theodosius, granting him the kingdom of heaven for his labors. Afterward Theodosius came with the brotherhood and sat beside him; as he grew weak, he looked at the abbot and said: “Do not forget, abbot, what you promised me last night.” And Theodosius the Great understood that he had seen a vision, and said to him: “Brother Damian! What I have promised you, that shall be yours.” And he closed his eyes and gave up his spirit into the hands of God. The abbot and the brothers buried his body.
So too another brother, named Jeremiah, who remembered the baptism of the Rus' land. To him a gift had been given by God: he preached and foresaw things to come. If he saw anyone lost in thought, he rebuked him in private and taught him to guard against the devil. And if some brother was thinking of leaving the monastery, he would see it, come to him, expose his thought, and comfort the brother. And whatever he told anyone, whether for good or for ill, the elder's word came to pass.
There was yet another brother, named Matthew, and he was a seer. Once as he stood in church in his place, he raised his eyes, looked over the brothers standing and singing on either side, and saw a demon going about in the form of a Pole in a cloak, carrying a flower in the bosom of his garment, called a lepok. Going around among the brothers, he would take the flower from his lap and throw it at whomever he pleased. If the flower fastened on one of the singing brothers, he, after standing a little while and growing faint in mind, having committed some fault or other, would go out of the church, and go to his cell and sleep, and not return to the church until the singing was done. But if he threw it at another and the flower did not fasten on him, he stood firm in his singing until they finished matins, and only then went to his cell. Seeing this, the elder told his brothers. And again this elder saw the following: it was the custom of this elder, when he had stood through the vigil and the brothers had sung the morning service, to go to his cell before dawn; this elder went out of the church last.
Once as he was going out, he sat down to rest beneath the board, for his cell was far from the church, and he saw what seemed a crowd coming from the gates. He raised his eyes and saw one sitting on a pig, and others running around it. The elder said to them: “Where are you going?” And the demon sitting on the pig said: “For Michael Tolbokovich.” The elder signed himself with the cross and came to his own cell. It grew light, and the elder understood, and said to his cell attendant: “Go, ask whether Michael is in his cell.” They told him: “He leapt out over the pillars after matins.” And the elder told this vision to the abbot and to all the brothers. In the time of this elder Theodosius died, and Stephen became abbot, and after Stephen Nikon, and this elder was still living. Once as he stood at matins, he raised his eyes, wanting to see Abbot Nikon, and saw a donkey standing in the abbot's place, and understood that the abbot had not risen.
Many other visions this elder foresaw as well, and he fell asleep in good old age in this monastery.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
In the year 6582. Theodosius, the abbot of the Caves Monastery, died. Let us tell a little about his falling asleep. Theodosius had a custom. When the fasting season was coming, on the Sunday of butter week, the last Sunday before the fast, in the evening, he would kiss the brothers as usual and teach them how to spend the fasting time in prayers by night and by day, and how to guard against impure thoughts and the seed the demons sow. “The demons,” he said, “sow thoughts in monks, evil desires, and set their minds on fire; and so their prayers are spoiled. When thoughts like these come, fight them off […] with the sign of the cross, saying: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.’ And with this keep restraint from too much food; with much eating and measureless drinking, evil thoughts grow, and when the thoughts have grown, sin is done.” “So,” he said, “resist the demons' work and their cunning. Guard against laziness and too much sleep. Be alert for the church singing, for the traditions of the fathers, and for the reading of books. More than that, a monk should keep the psalm of David in his mouth — with it he drives out the despair the demons bring. Above everything, keep love within yourself for the juniors, and obedience and submission to the seniors, […] and let the seniors have […] love and instruction for the juniors. Be a model yourself by restraint and sleepless watching, and by humble walking, and so teach the juniors too, comfort them, and so spend the fast.”
He would speak like this: “God has given us these 40 days for the cleansing of the soul. This is the tithe given to God from the year: from one year to the next there are 365 days, and of those days the tenth day is to be given back to God — the tithe — and that is this forty-day fast. In those days the soul, cleansed, keeps the bright feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, rejoicing in God. The fasting season cleanses a person's mind. Fasting was shown from the very beginning: Adam was forbidden to taste from one single tree. Moses fasted for 40 days and was found worthy to receive the law on Mount Sinai and to see the glory of God. Samuel's mother bore Samuel through fasting. The Ninevites fasted and escaped God's anger. Daniel fasted and was granted a great vision. Elijah fasted and was, as it were, taken up to heaven, to food that does not decay. The three youths fasted and put out the power of the fire. The Lord fasted for 40 days and showed us the fasting season.”
“By fasting the apostles rooted out the teaching of the demons. By fasting our fathers appeared like lights in the world, and they shine even after death, having shown great labors and self-restraint — such as the great Anthony, and Euthymius, and Sabbas, and the other fathers, whom we too should imitate, brothers.” Having taught the brothers like this and kissed each one by name, he would go out of the monastery, taking a few small cakes. He would go into the cave, shut the door of the cave and cover it with earth, and speak to no one. If some necessary matter arose, he would talk a little through the little window on Saturday or Sunday; on the other days he stayed in fasting and prayer and held himself to strict restraint. He would come to the monastery on Friday, the eve of Lazarus Saturday; for on that day the forty-day fast ends. It begins on the first Monday, when Theodore's week has come, and it ends on Lazarus Friday. Holy Week is appointed for fasting because of the Lord's Passion.
Theodosius came as usual, kissed the brothers, and kept Palm Sunday with them. When the great day of the Resurrection came and he had kept it brightly as usual, he fell ill. He was sick for 5 days; then, when evening came, he ordered them to carry him out into the yard. The brothers took him on a sledge and set him in front of the church. He ordered all the brothers to gather. The brothers struck the board that calls them, and all came together. He said to them: “My brothers, my fathers, my children! See, I am leaving you. The Lord made it clear to me, during the fast, while I was in the cave, that I am to depart from this world. Whom do you want set over yourselves as abbot? Then I can give him my blessing.” They said to him: “You are a father to all of us. Whomever you yourself choose will be father and abbot to us, and we will obey him as we obey you.” Our father Theodosius said: “Go aside from me and name the one you want, except two brothers, Nicholas and Ignatius; among the rest, whomever you want, from the oldest to the youngest.” They obeyed him, stepped a little aside toward the church, took counsel, and sent two brothers with this message: “Whomever God and your honored prayer chooses, whomever pleases you — name him.”
Theodosius said to them: “If you want to receive an abbot from me, I will do it for you — but not by my own will; by God's ordering.” And he named Yakov the priest for them. The brothers were not pleased, saying, “He did not take his vows here”; for Yakov had come from the Alta with his brother Paul. The brothers began to ask for Stephen, the choir leader, who was then Theodosius's pupil, saying, “This one grew up under your hand and […] served you; give us him now.” Theodosius said to them: “See, by God's command I had named Yakov for you; but this you want to do by your own will.” He yielded to them and gave them Stephen to be their abbot. He blessed Stephen and said to him: “Child! See, I hand the monastery over to you. Guard it with care. Keep the order of the services as I arranged it. Do not change the monastery's traditions and rules, but do everything according to the law and the order of the monastery.” Then the brothers took him and carried him to his cell and laid him on his bed. When the sixth day came, and he was very ill, Sviatoslav came to him with his son Gleb.
While the two sat with him, Theodosius said to the prince: “See, I am leaving this world. I hand the monastery over to you for safekeeping, in case there is any disorder in it. I entrust the abbacy to Stephen; do not let him be wronged.” The prince kissed him, promised to look after the monastery, and went away. When the seventh day came and Theodosius was failing, he called Stephen and the brothers and began to speak to them like this: “If, after my departure from this world, I have pleased God and God has received me, then after I am gone the monastery will begin to prosper and grow; then know that God has received me. But if after my life the monastery begins to fall short […] the monks and the needs of the monastery, then know that I have not pleased God.” While he said this, the brothers wept and said: “Father! Pray the Lord for us. We know that God will not scorn your labor.” The brothers sat with him that whole night. When the eighth day came — the second Saturday after Easter, at the 2nd hour of the day — he gave his soul into God's hands, on the 3rd day of the month of May, in the 11th indiction. And the brothers wept for him.
Theodosius had commanded the brothers to lay him in the cave, where he had shown so many labors, saying: “Bury my body at night.” That is what they did. When evening came, all the brothers took his body, carried it into the cave with songs and candles, and laid it there with honor, to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While Stephen held the monastery and the blessed flock that Theodosius had gathered… In this way the monks shone like lights in the land of Rus': some were fasters, others kept vigils, others made kneeling bows, others ate only every other day or every third day; some ate bread with water, others boiled greens, and others raw food. They lived in love. The juniors submitted to the seniors, not daring to speak in their presence, everything done with submission and great obedience. And the seniors in turn loved the juniors; they instructed and comforted them like beloved children. If any brother fell into some sin, they comforted him, and out of great love they divided one brother's penance among 3 or 4. Such was the love in that brotherhood, and such its great restraint. If a brother went out of the monastery, all the brothers grieved greatly over it and sent for him. They brought the brother back to the monastery; then they all bowed to the abbot, begged the abbot, and received the brother into the monastery with joy. Such lovers of God and men of restraint they were. From among them I will name a few remarkable men.
The first was Damian the priest. He was a faster and a man of restraint: to the end of his life he ate nothing but bread and water. If anyone brought a sick child, seized by whatever illness, they brought him to the monastery; and if a grown man, seized by whatever illness, came to the monastery to the blessed Theodosius, Theodosius would order this Damian to say a prayer over the sick person. Damian said the prayer at once and anointed him with holy oil, and at once those who came to him were healed. Once he fell ill himself, and as he lay in his sickness close to his end, an angel came to him in Theodosius's form, granting him the kingdom of heaven for his labors. Then Theodosius came with the brothers and sat with him. As Damian was failing, he looked at the abbot and said: “Do not forget, abbot, what you promised me last night.” The great Theodosius understood that he had seen a vision and said to him: “Brother Damian, what I promised you, that you will have.” Damian closed his eyes and gave up his spirit into God's hands. The abbot and the brothers buried his body.
So too another brother, named Jeremiah, who remembered the baptism of the land of Rus'. God had given him a gift: he preached, and he saw things to come. If he saw someone lost in a thought, he rebuked him in private and taught him to guard against the devil. If some brother was thinking of leaving the monastery, Jeremiah saw it, came to him, exposed his thought, and comforted the brother. And whatever he told someone — good or bad — the elder's word came true.
There was also another brother, named Matthew; he could see hidden things. Once, while he stood in the church in his place, he raised his eyes, looked over the brothers standing and singing on both sides, and saw a demon going around in the shape of a Pole in a cloak, carrying in the fold of the cloak a flower that is called a lepek. Going along beside the brothers, he took the flower from his bosom and threw it at whomever he pleased. If the flower stuck to one of the singing brothers, that one would stand only a short time; his mind would weaken; he would commit some offense or other, walk out of the church, go to his cell, sleep, and not return to the church until the singing was over. But if the demon threw the flower at another and it did not stick to him, that one stood firm in his singing until they finished matins, and only then went to his cell. Seeing this, the elder told it to his brothers. And again this elder saw the following. As usual, after he had stood through the night office and the brothers had finished singing matins before dawn, they went off to their cells; this elder left the church last.
Once, as he was leaving, he sat down to rest under the board, for his cell was far from the church, and he saw what looked like a troop going out of the gates. He raised his eyes and saw one sitting on a pig and others running around it. The elder said to them: “Where are you going?” And the demon sitting on the pig said: “After Michael Tolbokovich.” The elder crossed himself with the sign of the cross and went to his cell. Then it grew light. The elder understood and said to his cell attendant: “Go and ask whether Michael is in his cell.” They answered him: “He jumped over the fence after matins.” The elder told this vision to the abbot and all the brothers. By this time Theodosius had died; Stephen had become abbot, and after Stephen, Nikon — and this elder was still alive then. Once, while he stood at matins, he raised his eyes, wanting to see Abbot Nikon, and saw a donkey standing in the abbot's place. He understood that the abbot had not gotten up.
This elder also saw many other visions of things to come, and he fell asleep in good old age in this monastery.