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Handout #213 |
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Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783 A.D.) |
| The life of Tikhon was written by one of his fellow-monks, Tcheboratev. He never set out on foot or in a carriage without taking his psalter which he always carried under his gown, since it was a small book. He ended up knowing the whole psalter by heart. He also blessed me with this book on his journey wherever he was going, he would sing the verses very loudly. He went to mass every day and sang without bursting into tears. At the monastery of T, towards midnight, he wend round the church and prayed in front of every door, genuflecting, at the same time he burst into floods of tears. I witnessed this. Sometimes I listened and heard him say 'Glory to God in the highest' and read the sacred psalms. He prayed in front of the west door for more than half and hour, then he returned to his cell with rapid steps. There he worked hard, sometimes he cut his own wood... One day he had gone for a walk behind the monastery; when He got back he said to me: 'In the forest I saw a tree stump from which one could make two cart loads of firewood or even more. Bring the axe to chop it up. ' We went into the forest and began to swing the axe; he took off his gown and began to work in his shirt. He used to say to us: 'He who lives at ease does not cease to sin. ' He never took his ease. In the morning, before mass, he would write edifying books which are still around today, they are read by many people who aspire to the salvation of their souls. He would feed the orphans and the needy; he was charitable towards all poverty and all distress. He gave away all that he had... Nobles and rich merchants would give him large sums of money. But not continue to distribute all his money to the poor, he also gave away his linen and kept only what he wore. |
