How do they beg for children in the Moscow Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh? Which saint do they turn to for this? Read more in our article!
How do they beg for children?
Every Monday, in the Moscow Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh, believers gather for a prayer service to St. David of Gareji. Elderly women, very young women, and young women (sometimes with their husbands) most often ask the saint for help with women’s ailments, mostly related to childbearing.
“For a long time, it was not clear to me why prayers were often ordered for St. David of Gareji, such a little-known saint among us,” says the rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh. – The explanation came on July 28, 1996.
At that time I served in the Church of the Transfiguration in Tushino. It was the name day of Vladimir Sychev’s father. We sat on the temple grounds under the apple trees at the festive table. When most of the guests left, Father Vladimir and Mother, the headman, Oleg Vasilyevich Shvedov, and several other people remained.
The conversation turned to the miraculous help of the Georgian saint, St. David of Gareji, to women. Father Vladimir and his mother Olga, who shortly before this at the age of 43 gave birth to their sixth child, recalled the miraculous help of the Monk David of Gareji. Then my mother spent almost the entire pregnancy in the hospital “for safekeeping.” Father Vladimir regularly served prayers to the saint, blessed the water and gave it to his wife in the hospital...
Then Oleg Vasilyevich said that his confessor, Father Vyacheslav R., did not have children for eighteen years after the birth of his first child. Once, returning from another trip to Georgia, to Tbilisi, Oleg Vasilyevich brought a bottle of Holy water from the spring of St. David of Gareji, on Mount Mtatsminda.
He gave it to Father Vyacheslav for his mother, saying that Georgian women suffering from infertility drink this water with prayer. Nine months passed, and Vyacheslav’s father had a long-awaited child...
A few years later, from Father Vyacheslav, I heard the continuation of this story: three years later, his mother discovered a forgotten bottle with the remains of Holy Water in the closet. I remembered where this water came from. I looked: there was no sediment, no smell. Pour it out? – the hand does not rise. She finished the water. Nine months later, Father Vyacheslav became a father for the third time...”
Not only Muscovites, but people from different parts of the near and far abroad come to pray to St. David of Gareji.
“In Georgia, St. David is one of the most revered saints after St. George the Victorious and, of course, Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina,” says Father John Kaleda. – Among male names, the name David is in second place in terms of distribution. Moreover, the Georgians themselves address St. David the same way we treat St. Nicholas.
That is, there is no reason why people would not turn to him for prayer help. Here in Russia, first of all, believers pray for problems of childbirth and, in general, for healing from women’s infirmities.”
Already in Russia, boys with the name David began to appear precisely in honor of the Monk David, thanks to whose prayerful help these same boys were safely born into the world. More than once Father John had to baptize children born through the prayers of the monk.
And sometimes a person who is almost unfamiliar with Church life will come to a prayer service, come a second time - and slowly begin to become a member of the Church...
Sometimes such people become parishioners of the temple. Like Marina, who came to pray to St. David of Gareji in 1999.
“After the prayer service, she comes up to me and asks: “Father, can I venerate the icon?” I haven’t stopped bleeding for three years.” I replied: “Strictly speaking, it’s not allowed, but I bless you.”
Literally the next day her condition became much better, and a month later it was completely over. Now she is a parishioner of our temple, she brings her daughter here, she sent many people with prayers to David of Gareji.”
It’s just a pity that there is no akathist to St. David in Russian.
“Translating from Georgian is not an easy task,” says Father John Kaleda. – These languages are very different. But I think that he will still be transferred.”
There is a special mood at the prayer service. Because the prayer of the majority of those gathered (on average, 70–80 people come to church on Mondays) is about children. About the future, about those who are in the womb, gratitude for those already born.
Thanks for the safe birth of his daughter five years ago Elena.
“I had a strong threat of losing her throughout my pregnancy,” Elena recalls. – My spiritual father (I am a parishioner of another church) strongly advised me to go here, to the Trinity Church, to pray to Saint David of Gareji. After the prayer service I felt noticeably better. So we prayed to him throughout the entire pregnancy. Now my daughter comes with me to pray to the saint so that she will have a brother or sister.”
“One Moscow priest, Father Oleg, was worried that he and his mother had no children,” recalls Father John Kaleda. – He was recommended to go to our temple. Father Oleg came and served with us at the feast of St. David, and the next year he came with his mother and child. Now, I think, he has four children.”
After the prayer service, reading the names of those for whom they prayed, Father John remembered another story:
“A few months ago, after a prayer service, the wife of one of the priests serving in the Moscow region came up to me, sobbing. She said that two days ago she was given two diagnoses: pregnancy and thyroid cancer. It’s clear that you can’t procrastinate with the disease, you need to have surgery. But surgery cannot be performed before 12 weeks of pregnancy. The term is still short, and doctors suggest terminating the pregnancy. Mother refused.
We found doctors who agreed to operate after 12 weeks. While waiting for the operation, the couple began to intensively pray to the Monk David. About a month later, when it was time to prepare for the operation, the diagnosis was removed. Mother is due to give birth in August. We continue to pray for her and her family."
They pray to St. David of Gareji not only for themselves, but for their loved ones and acquaintances (and not always close ones).
Here is another story from Father John Kaleda:
“One day, our accountant Inna Ya., being at the bank on her official duties, gave the bank employees small paper icons of St. David of Gareja and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, revered in the temple, called the “Three Joys,” issued by our temple. She told me about them. “And I haven’t been able to give birth to a child for 11 years. As soon as I was not examined, I was not treated! And my husband was examined. No results,” complained operator Elena, who was serving our temple.
Inna and a parishioner of the temple, the chief accountant of one commercial company, also serviced by this bank, began to bring Elena bottles of holy water from the prayer service to St. David of Gareji every time she visited the bank. And at the prayer service they prayed for her.
“The relationship with the bank is ruined!” our accounting department joyfully told me on August 1, 2001, when I returned from vacation.
Surprised that there could be joy in this, I asked for an explanation. It turned out that during the next visit to Inna Bank, the bosses of our curator Elena half-jokingly, half-sternly said: “Who brought water to Elena? And who will work now?
It turned out that Elena became pregnant, and she had no time for work. In March 2002, in our Temple we baptized her daughter Sonechka, and then married Sonechka’s parents, Mikhail and Elena.”
Life of David of Gareji
The Venerable David of Gareji came at the command of the Mother of God to Georgia from Syria in the middle of the 6th century, together with the Venerable John of Zedazni, among his 12 disciples.
At first, the holy fathers settled on Mount Zedazeni, not far from Mtskheta. After 3 years, the Monk John sent his companions to different parts of Georgia. The Monk David and his disciple Lucian settled in the vicinity of Tbilisi on Mount Mta-Tsminda (“Holy Mountain”).
It must be said that Georgia itself was baptized more than 200 years earlier by Saint Nina.
But throughout the history of Georgia, it experienced strong pressure from Persia. There were many Persian invasions, Georgia was subjected to devastation and fires. For many years it was under siege dependence on the Persians themselves.
If at first the Persians tried to eradicate Christianity with the sword, then they began to act very cunningly. They began to spread Mazdaism everywhere, what the common people call fire worship. And the Persians gave many different benefits to those artisans and merchants who accepted Mazdaism.
It got to the point that the temples of fire worshipers began to be located right next to the entrances to Christian churches.
Therefore, the arrival of the Syrian fathers in Georgia can be called the second baptism.
Every Thursday the monk went down to the city and instructed the residents in the basics of the Christian faith. Many residents began to return to the fold of the Christian Church. Naturally, the fire-worshipping priests did not like this, and the priests bribed one fallen maiden to slander the monk, so that she would name him the culprit of her sin.
Having been summoned by the residents to court, the monk approached this girl and, touching her womb with his staff, asked: “Am I your father?” A voice was heard from the womb: “No,” and the true culprit of her fall was named. And after that, in front of the surprised people, she gave birth to a stone.
In memory of such wondrous heavenly intercession, the monk asked the Lord on that mountain for a healing spring, to which Georgians still resort to for their women’s infirmities.
After this, the Monk David, together with Lucian, left the outskirts of Tbilisi and retired to the southeast into the desert area of Gareji. Here the ascetics dug cells for themselves in the mountain and settled in them. Later, other desert dwellers began to settle near them and the famous David-Gareji Lavra was formed.
Shortly before his death, the Monk David went to the Holy Land to worship. And so, having ascended the mountain, from which a view of the Holy City already opened, the monk told his companions that he was not worthy to trample with his feet those places where the Savior’s foot had trodden.
He asked to pray for him at the Holy Sepulcher, and with prayer he took three stones from the ground, put them in a knapsack and turned them back. At this time, an Angel appeared to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who said that God’s beloved David had taken all the grace of the Holy Sepulcher, and ordered to equip a walker who would take two stones from the Reverend.
The monk brought the third stone to his monastery, and it has been preserved to this day. Now it is kept in the treasury of the new Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.
The Monk David died after receiving Holy Communion on May 7/20, 604, Thursday after the Ascension. Therefore, his memory is celebrated on this day, and on May 7/20 all 13 Syrian fathers are commemorated.
Photo by Ivan Jabir
According to legend, the Monk David (in holy baptism Daniel) came from a noble princely family, presumably from the princes of Vyazemsky. He entered a monastery at a very young age, and was a student and tonsure of the Monk Paphnutius of Borovsk. When he was tonsured a monk, he received the name David, in honor of the Venerable David of Thessaloniki, and was a friend and prayer partner of the Venerable Joseph of Volotsk, who at the same time asceticized in the Borovsky Monastery. After the death of the Monk Paphnutius, his disciple Joseph became the abbot, but the brethren did not want to have him as abbot because of the severity of the regulations he introduced. In addition to the seven elders, among whom was the Monk David. Unfortunately, we do not know any other details about the life of the saint in the Pafnutiev Monastery. It is known that on May 31, 1515, the Monk David came here to the site of the current monastery, with the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, accompanied by two monks and two novices. And he built a church here in honor of the Ascension of the Lord and the Dormition of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. He lived in this holy place for fourteen years and reposed in the Lord on September 19, 1529. (according to the old style). For more than half a century, the Monk David labored as a monk, acquired many spiritual gifts and, as the chronicle says, was “the father and breadwinner of the entire surrounding population.” His memory is celebrated (according to the new style) on October 2 and 31. And May 23 (finding of relics). http://www.hramzis.ru/life.php?id=112Saint David of Serpukhov - Saint of Serpukhov, lived in the first quarter of the 16th century. Blessed David began his monastic exploits in the Pafnutevsky Borovsky Monastery during the life of the founder of the monastery, St. Paphnutius, who died in 1477. Then St. David labored in 
silent solitude, in 1515 he built on the Lopasna River, 23 versts from the city of Serpukhov, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord and laid the foundation for a desert monastery, known as David’s Ascension Hermitage, in which he died on October 18, 1520. His relics rest in secret . Filaret: “Lives of the Saints” October, St. Petersburg, 1885; arch. Leonid: "Holy Rus'", St. Petersburg, 1801. (Polovtsov)
The Monk David of Serpukhov (in the world Daniel) came from a family of princes of Vyazemsky. He was tonsured and a student of the great Paphnutius Borovsky. After the death of Paphnutius (1447), David remained in the Borovsky monastery under the patronage and leadership of Joseph Volotsky (another student of Paphnutius), who would later become a key figure in the dispute between the Josephites and non-covetous people. And he will prevail in this dispute, creating the preconditions for the disintegration of Russian monasticism. But all this will come later, but for now Joseph leads the Pafnutiev brethren. At the same time (regarding the tightening of the hostel regime) he enters into a clinch with almost everyone. Among the seven monks who supported Joseph in this conflict was David.
The result of the discord was Joseph's departure to wander through the Russian monasteries. It lasted two years, and, having returned and seeing that a whip could not break a butt, Joseph decides to leave for good. Soon he will open his famous Joseph-Volotsky Monastery, where he will arrange everything to his liking.
But David remained in Borovsk. But gradually the desire to leave the Pafnutev monastery matured in him. 85 km. from Moscow, on the high bank of the Lopasnya River, he found a beautiful, strong place and settled in it. In May 1515, a monastery arose there. They say on the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in 1515, Joseph Volotsky visited him. I dined with David, was very pleased with everything, and blessed the new monastery and its abbot. Perhaps the late Father German, who in 1995 became the rector of the recreated Ascension David Hermitage, was inspired by the ideas of Joseph Volotsky that monasteries should be rich, because this is necessary for education and other public service. That is, he was inspired by ideas opposite to non-covetousness. That’s why he was ready to go to great lengths to make his monastery rich and strong, but he was killed.
David died in 1529. And soon he began to appear in different people’s dreams, help them, and perform miracles. Now his relics rest openly in the Church of the Sign and are the main shrine of the monastery. In fact, there are probably so many different particles of relics and other shrines as in the Davidic Hermitage nowhere else in Holy Rus'. Here you will be shown fragments of the honest bodies of Nikola Ugodnik, Eustathius Placida, Herman of Alaska, Dmitry, Abraham and Isaiah of Rostov, Ferapont Luzhetsky, Moses Ugrin and others, and others, and others. There is even an ark with the relics of the holy Bethlehem infants, a piece of the original Nail of the Crucifixion of the Lord, a piece of the Robe of the Lord, a piece of the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos and the honest head of an unknown martyr from Kyiv.
But besides the monastery located in the village of Novy Byt, another place nearby is associated with the name of David of Serpukhov, about five kilometers downstream of Lopasnya. There flows a powerful spring with extremely tasty water, which, as they say, was discovered by the monk himself and is therefore called the Spring of David. Topographically, it is near the ancient village of Talezh (first mentioned in 1328 in the spiritual charter of Ivan Kalita).
Lives of holy men
09.03.2010
(6 September)
The holy and venerable David was formerly a robber and, living in the Hermopolis desert, he caused a lot of evil to people, killed many and was as evil and cruel as anyone else.
Under his command, he had more than thirty people who robbed with him. One day, sitting with them on the mountain, he thought about his life and remembered how much evil and disaster he had caused to people. He was overcome with fear. He left all his partners and went to the monastery.
When David knocked on the gate, the gatekeeper came out and asked him what he wanted.
David replied:
- I want to be a monk.
The gatekeeper went and reported this to the abbot. The abbot came out to him, but seeing that he was an old man, he said:
“You cannot be here, because the brothers work hard and live in great abstinence. You cannot fulfill any other morals and commandments of the monastery.
David continued to beg the abbot to accept him into the monastery.
“I will do whatever you order me,” he said, “just accept me.”
The abbot refused, David begged:
“Know, father, that I am David, the chief of the robbers.” I came to you to mourn my sins. If you do not want to accept me, then I promise you with an oath that I will go back, bring my robbers with me and kill you all and destroy your monastery.
Hearing such a threat, the abbot accepted David into the monastery and tonsured him to the monastic rank.
And David began to strive in abstinence and learn humility. Soon he surpassed the other monks in the monastery in virtues and began to serve everyone for the benefit of his life and word.
One day, when David was sitting in his cell, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and said:
“David, the Lord has forgiven your sins, and from now on you will work miracles.” David answered him:
“I cannot believe that the Lord forgave me my sins so quickly, for they are very grave and more numerous than the sand of the sea.”
The Archangel said to this:
“I am Gabriel the Archangel, who did not spare Zechariah when he did not believe my words, but tied his tongue as punishment, so that he would believe what I said. Will I spare you? So from now on you will be mute.
David bowed and said to the angel.
“When I was a robber, did lawless deeds and shed a lot of blood, then you did not tie my tongue, which did not bring glory to God.” And now, when I wanted to serve the Lord and bring Him praise, you tie my tongue so as not to utter words to me!
The angel replied:
- Speak, but only when you glorify God and pray to Him during the rule, and the rest of the time you will be silent.
So saying, the angel left him. David praised God for the forgiveness of his sins. After this, by the grace of God, he performed many miracles: he restored sight to the blind, raised the lame, and healed those possessed by demons. In church, he sang the goodness of God in prayers, but could not utter any other words outside its walls. In this way he lived for many years for the edification of everyone and peacefully reposed in the Lord in his old age.
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The Most-Dear Da-Vid of Ga-rejii came by the direction of God Ma-te-ri to Georgia from Syria in the north 6th century, together with his predecessor, including 12 students.
At first, the holy fathers sat on Mount Ze-da-ze-ni, not far from Mts-he-ty. After 3 years, the Reverend John sent his followers to different parts of Georgia. Pre-reputable Da-vid with his student Lu-ki-a-n sat in the vicinity of Tbi-li-si on Mount Mta- Tsmin-da (“Holy Mountain”).
It must be said that Georgia itself was baptized more than 200 years before by Saint Nina.
But throughout the history of Georgia, it has experienced strong pressure from Persia. There were a lot of invasions of per- owls, Georgia was suc- ceding to decline, due to the heat. For a lot of time I was under siege from the per- sons themselves.
If the per-sy tried to kill Christianity with a sword, then it would become really cunning . They began to plant maz-de-ism all over the place, what in our country we call fire-not-like- stvom. And to those re-mes-len-nik-kam, merchants who have-not-ma-li-maz-de-ism, per-sy-y-y-y-you-have-a-lot-of-everything- possible benefits.
It got to the point where the fire-not-clon-ni-kov began to grow-ly-sya-right-near-the-entrances-to-Christ -an-sky temples.
For this reason, the arrival of the Syrian fathers in Georgia can be called the second baptism.
Every Thursday, the very same descended into the city and instructed the inhabitants in the foundations of the Christian faith. Many people began to return to the local Christian Church. Naturally, the priests-of-the-gods didn’t like it, and the priests under-wh-wed one of the fallen maidens. tsu, so that she okle-ve-ta-la pre-do-no-go, so that she calls him the culprit of her sin.
Having been summoned by the living to court, the venerable one went to this girl and, touching her womb, va, asked: “Am I your father?” From the morning a voice would be heard: “No,” and the true vic-new nickname of her pa-de-niya was named. And after that, before her eyes, in surprise, she made a rock.
In remembrance of such a wondrous heavenly intercession, the Most Holy One asked the Lord on that mountain for healing. a new source, to whom Georgians still run in their female infirmities.
After this, the very good Da-vid, together with Lu-ki-a-n, was in the vicinity of Tbi-li-si and left to the southeast into the deserted area of Ga-reji. Here, the movers went to the mountain cells and sat down in them. Later, other people began to sit down near them and became familiar with them.
Not long before his demise, the very kind Da-vid departed for veneration on the Holy Land. And so, having climbed the mountain, from which a view of the Holy City already opened up, the great one said to his companions , that he is not up-to-in his-and-mi no-ga-mi top-t those places where he stup-pa-la no-ha Spa-si-te-la.
He asked to pray for him at the Holy Sepulcher, and with prayer he took three stones from the ground and placed them in tom-ku and turned back. At this time, an Angel appeared to Jerusalem Pat-ri-ar-kh, who said that God’s beloved Yes- the view took all the blessings of the Gro-ba of the Lord, and ordered him to quickly go, which he would have taken from the Lord. add two stones.
He brought the third stone to his lav-ra, and it was preserved until the present time. Nowadays it is kept in the treasure-house of the Tro-its-ko-federal-no-go so-bo-ra in Tbi-li- si.
The Most Reverend Da-vid died, having partaken of the Holy Sacrament, May 7/20, 604, Thursday after Ascension . That’s why we commemorate him on this day, and on May 7/20 we commemorate all 13 fathers riy-tsev.
Prayers
Troparion to St. David of Gareji
With the streams of your tears you brought forth the barren land, and from the depths of your sighs you bore fruit with a hundred labors, and you were the lamp of the universe, shining miracles, David our Father, pray to Christ May our souls be saved.
Translation: You cultivated the barren desert with streams of your tears, and from the depths of your groans you multiplied the fruit of your labors a hundredfold, and became the luminary of the universe, shining with miracles, David, our father; pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Troparion to St. David of Gareji
Your exploits were then dissolved by streams of tears, now you stand before our Lord in prayer, as with tears you sowed and reaped with joy the fruits revived in the desert. O David, the radiance of the world and the representative of our souls.
Translation: Then deeds, dissolved with streams of tears, now in prayer you stand before our Lord, since you sowed with tears and joyfully reap the fruits () reborn in the desert. O David, light of the world and protector of our souls.
Kontakion to Saint David of Gareji
From the Syrian sources you ascended, a bright star, and you illuminated the Gareji desert with the radiance of the Spirit; as with your coming you created a monastic paradise, growing a verbal heliport in the desert. For this reason, do not leave him to keep it, beloved David.
Translation: From the Syrian sources you rose, a bright star, and you illuminated the Gareji desert with the radiance of the Spirit, since with your arrival you created a monastic paradise, growing a spiritual garden in the desert. Therefore, do not cease to preserve it, beloved David.
Kontakion to Saint David of Gareja
From Mesopotamia you rose, the all-bright star, and went into the desert of Gareji, and with your appearance, like paradise, the plantings of words vegetate from the plantings of the saints, for them do not cease to pray Thank you, blessed David.
Translation: From Mesopotamia you rose, a bright star, and came to the desert of Gareji, from where, thanks to your appearance, as in paradise, spiritual plantings grow from holy plants, do not cease to pray for them, David.
Prayer to St. David of Gareji
Oh, all-bright, God-praised Abba David, Holy One of God! By the power of the good Lawgiver, you have appeared to us, bound and overwhelmed by the wiles of the evil one, as a mentor in repentance and an assistant in prayer. For this reason, you have been given many gifts of grace and miracles, the remission of our sins and the remission of sins, the healing of illnesses and the driving away of the devil’s slander. Moreover, by your fatherly mercy in the divine understanding, by your laborious prayers and supplications, and especially by your constant intercession for us, may the Lord God restore us, having fallen into sin, with His power invincible against every visible and invisible enemy, so that by thanking you your holy memory will be fulfilled by desire We desired to worship the Eternal God in the One Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Saint David of Gareji, one of the most revered saints in Georgia, is becoming increasingly famous in Russia. However, many people still do not know about such a great holy father, who came to the Georgian lands from Syria and worked hard to educate Georgia. Saint David is especially close to Georgian women; for centuries the folk path to his holy source has not been overgrown. An ambulance in women's ailments and the giver of long-awaited children, Saint David became dear to many Russian families, saving women from terrible diseases and diagnoses and giving the long-awaited happiness of motherhood, contrary to all the doctors' predictions.
We talk about Saint David of Gareji, about the miraculous cases of his help, about the difficulties of childless families and about the great Orthodox country - Georgia - with Archpriest John Kaleda, rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Gryazekh, where prayer services to Saint David of Gareji are held every week and there is an icon with a particle his relics.
– Saint David of Gareji is very revered and loved in Georgia, but few people know about him in Russia. Father John, please tell us how you met this Georgian saint?
– I began my ministry at the Church of the Transfiguration in Tushino. This is the red temple at the exit from Moscow along the Volokolamsk highway. It was Father Fyodor Sokolov who received an appointment to this church and began calling friends and acquaintances: “I need people.” That's how I ended up in this temple. During the first months we tore down partitions, erected a temporary iconostasis, and put everything in order so that services could begin. Then from the first service I found myself at the altar, was an altar server, then a deacon, a priest. At first, for a long time I could not understand why such a little-known saint as David of Gareji had prayer services so often held in our church? The fact is that the first head of the temple was Oleg Vasilyevich Shvedov, a great admirer of Georgian saints. For many years he spent his holidays in Georgia with a camera, trying to penetrate inaccessible places, including restricted areas. By the way, in the area of Garezhdi in Soviet times there was an artillery range (either until the end of the 80s, or until the beginning of the 90s), and the monastic cells were used as training purposes. It was Oleg Vasilyevich who brought the veneration of St. to the Tushino church. David as a helper in women's needs. That’s why they ordered prayer services to St. David, but it was absolutely incomprehensible to me - why and why. The temple was consecrated before the Transfiguration in the summer of 1990, and in 1994 I became a deacon, then in 1995 a priest. Only on July 28, 1996, I finally learned in detail about David of Gareji. Here is how it was. It was the day of the angel of Father Vladimir Sychev, the second priest of the temple. The festive table stood under the apple tree, and when almost everyone had left, Oleg Vasilyevich, father Vladimir and mother and several other people remained. Father Vladimir and mother began to remember their story, and mother only recently gave birth to her sixth child at the age of 43; naturally, she was kept in the hospital almost all the time. Still, the doctors feared for her. Father Vladimir regularly served prayers for David of Gareji and brought holy water from these prayers to her at the hospital. Mother Olga gave everyone in the ward this water, saying simply: “all women should drink this water.” And in her ward, women “ran” home much faster than in others. In their ward, the “bed turnover” (there is such a medical term) was much higher - women were more likely to go home. Here Oleg Vasilyevich also told how his confessor, Father Vyacheslav, as I then heard, had no children for 18 years. And one day Oleg Vasilyevich, from a trip to Georgia, brought him a bottle of water from the source of St. David in Tbilisi on Mount Mtatsminda and simply said that all Georgian women drink this water. Well, after 9 months Fr. Vyacheslav became a father. Then I learned a clarification of this story, that Fr. Vyacheslav not only had no children for 18 years, but after the birth of his eldest son, there were no children for 18 years. Then everything is the same: Oleg Vasilyevich brought some water, mother drank and that’s it. And then from Fr. Vyacheslav, I heard the continuation of this story: three years after the birth of her second mother, she came across a bottle with the remains of holy water in the closet. She remembered what kind of water it was, turned it over in her hands: there was no sediment, no smell, pour it out - her hand did not rise. She drank. Well, after 9 months Fr. Vyacheslav became a father for the third time.
Just at this time, Oleg Vasilyevich had just compiled and published the book “Reverend David of Gareji and his Holy Lavra.” He gave me one such book, and then I became interested in this saint, imbued with it. And before that, Oleg Vasilyevich published the book “God is Wonderful in His Saints” with a description of which saints to turn to in which cases, containing troparia and kontakia. It was in this book, on page 49, under the heading “On Women’s Diseases,” that St. David was written about. After this, having familiarized myself, I began to send women to St. David of Gareji.
Then, I remember, it was Wednesday, I served alone, and I got almost everything: the liturgy was served, there was a prayer service, there was a memorial service, there was a baptism and a wedding. The funeral service was not enough for “complete happiness.” At about an hour I leave the altar, one woman comes up to me and begins to thank me. At first I didn’t understand why, but then it dawned on me that two weeks ago I sent her to David of Gareji, and she had to have an operation. She was not my spiritual child, she was the child of Father Nikolai Sokolov, but at that moment he was not there, and so the woman came up to me. I advised her to buy a book about David of Gareji from the church store in order to know his life and pray to him personally. I clarified that we need to address the saint personally, and not abstractly; we need to address the saint as a person. I advised this woman to read the troparion and kontakion to St. David at home from the book “God is Wonderful in His Saints,” to read the prayer at home every day, to order a prayer service and to drink holy water. She did that. And then, when she came to the hospital, it turned out that there was nothing to operate on.
And then I realized that she was not the first who approached me. But in the cases before this there were all sorts of inflammations, in general, little things, let’s say, and this woman was the first with such a serious diagnosis. And within six months, while I was serving in the church in Tushino, there were 5 more cases when someone did not make it to the hospital, did not make it to the operating table, because they were healed through prayers to the Monk David. Then, with even greater boldness, I began to send women to David of Gareji and told Oleg Vasilyevich that it was necessary to paint an icon of St. David, because women specially came to the Tushino temple to order a prayer service to Saint David, since in many churches they did not know about such a saint.
But to date, the icon has not appeared there. Six months later I was assigned to the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh. Here, naturally, I also began to send women to David of Gareji, and quite quickly the consciousness appeared that it was necessary to paint an icon. They placed a mug in the church and ordered an icon. There was an interesting testimony: there was a mug, near the candle box - people with a bored look, and then the look fell on the mug, people read, and their hand reaches into their wallet. When the icon was painted, the funds raised were enough not only for the icon, but also for the first edition of small icons.
I came to the Trinity Church on Gryazekh on December 27, 1996, the icon of St. David was consecrated on February 8, 1998, and from February 16 we began to serve a weekly prayer service to St. David. We attach a piece of paper to each icon of the saint, on which there is a short life, troparion, kontakion and prayer to the saint, so that people pray at home and can tell others about the Monk David.
– Father, you have two icons of St. David in your church: a large one, which hangs in the church, and a small one, which is in the altar and is brought out for prayer services. Which one was so wonderfully written in 1998?
– The one that is brought out for prayer services, with a particle of the relics of St. David. But in general, today we already have three icons of St. David in our church. The latter was donated to the temple by the governor of the David-Gareji Lavra already this year, 2015.
– When did the large icon depicting scenes from the life of the saint appear?
– The big one appeared later, around 2004 or 2005.
– Was it also written by order using general funds raised?
- Yes. Although we did not purposefully place the mug, there were donations. When the first icon was painted, our icon painter was faced with a difficult task. I gave him a life, expressed my wishes that the Reverend David be depicted with a stone in his hand and that the holy spring be depicted on the icon. This is how the icon painter depicted the old man in view of Jerusalem, with a spring at his feet. So this mountain on the icon simultaneously represents two mountains: on the one hand, it is Mount Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, and on the other, the peak of grace in view of Jerusalem. Later, icons of this type began to appear “with a Georgian accent” - with a Georgian style of writing.
– Father John, since the veneration of David of Gareji began in this temple and prayers began to be served to him, have there been cases of healing and the gift of children? Have you ever had to baptize children who were born through prayers to Saint David?
– There are some little Davids who are already running around (laughs). There was such an interesting case. Somewhere in the summer of 1998, one woman came to the temple and “tortured” the guards: “Could you help, there is a temple somewhere that doesn’t even look like a temple, there is a rector with a Georgian surname who helps all women " Moreover, the watchman absolutely did not understand what she was talking about. But there were people nearby who immediately realized and said: “This is exactly where you came” (laughs).
One of the earliest miraculous cases is this: we published an edition of the icon-postcard of David of Gareji and the “Three Joys” - our main shrines. When we communicate with someone, we present these icons as a sign of attention. Well, naturally, when you give an icon of St. Nicholas, the healer Panteleimon or the Kazan icon, it is clear and understandable to everyone. And when you give the icon “Three Joys” or St. David of Gareji, then here, naturally, it is necessary to explain what kind of icon, what kind of saint, in what cases they turn to him. Our church was serviced by the same bank at that time, and Inna, our accountant, presented the bank employees with icons of St. David, telling about him. Then she found out that the bank operator servicing our temple, Elena, had no children for 11 years. Moreover, they performed some kind of operation on her four times, they examined her and her husband, but nothing worked. After this, Inna and another of our parishioners, who was also served at that bank, began to bring holy water to Elena from the prayer service to St. David. And then I come back from vacation, and our accounting department happily greets me and says: “We have ruined our relationship with the bank!” Moreover, they say one thing, but another is written on their faces. It turned out that our Inna once again came to the bank, and there the bank’s management greeted her with the question: “Who carried the water, and who will work now?” (laughs). Lenochka carried her, and then we baptized the born girl, Sonya.
There was another such case. After the prayer service, God’s servant Marina came up to me and said: “Father, can I venerate the icon? Can I drink this water? I’ve been bleeding for three years.” I say: “Well, if we take it strictly according to the canons, then it’s impossible, it’s not allowed. But, remembering the bleeding woman from the Gospel, who suffered from this illness for 12 years, I bless you. But only venerate the icon of David of Gareji and drink only the water of David of Gareji.” The next day her bleeding stopped. Here I must say that not all the problems went away immediately, but after about a month for sure.
– Father, do the parents of those children who were born through the prayers of Saint David come and tell you about this?
- Yes. For two years now, Deacon Alexei has been serving on the feast of David of Gareji, and his son David, who is now about 7 years old, comes with him. Doctors did not give Alexey any chance of having a child. And just this morning I was at the patronal feast in the Church of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos in Pereslavskaya Sloboda. And so Father Dmitry from the Church of All Who Sorrow Joy at the Moscow Regional Clinical Institute (MONIKI) said that they had such a case. One couple had no children for 18 years. After long prayers to David of Gareji, they now have three. Dad himself ran to the temple: “Father, do something, that’s enough!” (laughs). So things happen all the time. But now, in a number of prayer books, a prayer to David of Gareji is given. There is a link on women’s forums; I recently went through all the links about David of Gareji that are on the Internet. Many testify that we must turn to Saint David.
– Tell me, is there a record of these miracles in your temple?
– Actually, we don’t have a magazine as such. But when someone comes and talks about their case, I ask them to describe it on paper. Now I am processing these recordings, transferring them to a computer, and editing them. This may be included in the book on St. David as an appendix.
– We said that Saint David is a quick helper in women’s ailments. Can men turn to him for problems with fertility?
- Of course they can. Moreover, we remember that essentially any saint can be addressed on any occasion. Why do we turn to the healer Panteleimon for help with illnesses? Because he helped with this during his lifetime. Why do we turn to Saint Alexei, Metropolitan of Moscow, for healing of eye diseases? Because during his lifetime he cured the khan’s wife Taidula from blindness. Or some saint had posthumous miracles of help. But in general, you can turn to any saint on any issue. True, there is casuistry. There is a known case of how one woman prayed to St. John the Baptist about purely marital problems. After much prayer, he appeared to her and said: “I am a virgin, I am a faster. I don’t know family life at all. At least turn to, well, the Apostle Peter!” After all, we know that the Apostle Peter was married, and the Gospel indicates that he had a mother-in-law. But this is already the realm of casuistry. If we, in Russia, mostly turn to David of Gareji as an assistant in women’s problems and childbearing, then in Georgia they turn to Saint David the way we turn to Saint Nicholas: there is no reason why they would not turn to him.
– Father, now there are problems with childbearing in many families, including Orthodox ones. What would you advise childless spouses: how to pray correctly for the gift of children, what means to resort to and, most importantly, how not to lose heart?
– First: we must remember that everything is sent to us from the Lord. Why the Lord gives to one and not to another is not for us to ask Him, not for us to demand an answer. We remember how many years Abraham and Sarah prayed! How many years did Joachim and Anna pray? How many years did Zechariah and Elizabeth pray? At the same time, it’s hard to say that they were punished for something by being childless.
It is also important to say that in all kinds of enemy actions, witchcraft, for example, everything is clear: the ritual has been carried out - there must be a result. We still pray, but no one can ever guarantee that we prayed, fasted, and there will be a result.
But let's start with the fact that we pray, and for many the issue of childbearing is resolved. We always try. My eldest daughter has not had children for more than 10 years. Do you think I don't pray for her? I don't think anyone thinks so. Do you think her husband, a priest, doesn’t pray about this? Also unlikely. But for some reason the Lord does not give children. This is His providence.
– How not to lose heart in such cases? How can you not grumble when you see other families who have children?
– I think that only prayer and surrendering oneself into the hands of God saves.
– And if a married couple wants to pray for the gift of a child, what is the best way to do it: every day or occasionally? Which saint is better to pray to?
– I believe that everyone who can should pray. Ask all the saints. Yes, here we cannot assume that if they turned to David of Gareji, and therefore turned to Joachim and Anna, then David would be offended (laughs). This only happens in our lives. But, of course, we should not pray occasionally. To date, there is no approved akathist to David of Gareji in Russian. You can pray to Saint Matrona of Moscow, Xenia of St. Petersburg, there are akathists for them. But not everyone is able to read akathists every day. But the troparion, kontakion and prayer every day are quite possible. Let’s say that reading an akathist to one of the saints 1-2 times a week is quite possible. Everyone can also drink water from the prayer service. But at the same time, we do not forget that, of course, the marriage must be registered. And then they come: “Father, pray for us, we have no children,” and you begin to find out that they are living in sin. Friends, do you want a priest to bless you for your sin? First of all, the marriage must be registered! Second: if we turn to the Lord, then there must be a married marriage. By the way, the mere wedding and observance of marital fasts very often in itself leads to the desired result!
And, of course, we must regularly confess and receive communion. Because we remember that our spiritual life is built around the Chalice, around Communion. Our home prayer is also important, participation in church prayer is important - Divine services, it is good to read akathists and canons, the Psalter, give notes, order prayer services, but without Communion it turns out that we are walking in a BIG circle around the Lord and trying to shout out: “Lord, help!”, but we don’t approach Him. Therefore, when something happens to us, including the problem of childbearing, the first thing we need to do is run to Communion, naturally after confession, and then everything else will be more effective.
– What determines whether the Lord will answer your prayer or not? You can often hear from people: “I’ve been praying for a long time, but God doesn’t hear me.” Is such a question even possible for a Christian?
– Of course, this formulation of the question is incorrect. This is a lack of faith; we must remember Joachim and Anna, who until old age prayed for a child and received what they asked for.
– If we remember their example, the righteous Joachim and Anna made a vow to the Lord that they would dedicate their child to Him. Can modern spouses resort to this - make this or that vow to God?
– Firstly, the vow imposes very big obligations. Such a vow can only be made by a person who is truly a deeply religious believer. After all, it often happens that a person is more of a “parishioner” than a parishioner. He doesn’t deny God, he’ll go to church on holidays, light a candle and that’s all. What can he teach a child? How can he prepare a child so that he really wants to serve God?
– That is, given that there are few people with deep faith now, it is better not to resort to such methods?
- Yes. You can’t say, “Lord, give me a child, and I’ll dedicate him to You.” After all, if the Lord grants me the joy of fatherhood/motherhood, I must try to do everything so that the child is dedicated to God, that is, serves God. Here there must be hope in the will of God. Not as we want, but as His will.
– If the Lord does not give spouses children, should they think about adoption? After all, this is a very responsible step.
– Isn’t giving birth to your child a responsible step?
- Of course, responsible. But I mean the number of returns of adopted children.
– The return is due to an incorrect attitude towards the adopted child. Sometimes he is chosen as a purebred dog or as a thoroughbred stallion: so that he is not sick, he is handsome - according to the criteria. The most important thing is that he pleases me so that I feel comfortable. That's what people think. And you must take the child not for yourself, but in order to give yourself to him. And this is precisely what people very often are not capable of – “giving of themselves.” Yes, you took the child from the maternity hospital, but it turns out that this is not a doll that you put on the sofa, it sits. Just make sure he doesn’t get into anything, steal anything, or tear anything.
– Here, of course, the readiness of the parents themselves is important.
- Yes. Just like it happens with your own children. It turns out that many are absolutely not ready to become parents and do not want to. Because a child is the end of a woman’s career and other inconveniences. Or the husband comes home, the wife does not run to feed him or please him, but also demands that the father take care of the child a little. Why does a child scream at night and interfere with my life? By the way, this is sometimes the reason for divorces.
– Many parents, even when giving birth to their child, are not ready. How can young mothers and fathers learn to be parents and overcome their selfishness and irritation?
– We all must learn to love and ask the Lord for love. And love is, first of all, not about taking, but about giving! Without asking for anything in return! If there is a question about adopting a child, then I personally think that this question is very important. And the fact that we now have a lot of abandoned children who are being raised in state institutions, and many cases of adoption abroad is a shame for the nation. By the way, before there were no “orphanages”; it was believed that it was a shame for relatives and a shame for neighbors. If anything, relatives always took the child and raised and looked after them with their own children. When adopting, the question of choosing a child is completely irrelevant. You cannot study a child’s medical history like you would study a puppy’s passport. Probably the best thing to do is to volunteer at the “Children’s Home” and first learn to give a little of yourself to the children who are sick, unkempt, and educationally neglected there. By the way, many children from the “orphanage” are pedagogically neglected, but if you start working with them in time, these consequences are eliminated. But you need to take into your family a child whom your heart tells you. We have a family in the church with two adopted children, the oldest are 5-6 years old. Dad worked as a massage therapist, including working with children. I don’t know the details, but one day a boy came up to him and said: “Take me to your place.” That is, not for his own sake, but for his sake, this man took it. The second girl in this family appeared a few years later. She was about a year old, for some reason she was left without parents. This family was offered to take her - and they took her.
– That is, in some cases the Lord himself directs this or that family?
- Yes. And, naturally, the child fell on this family out of the blue, and a bunch of all sorts of problems immediately appeared, including in professional activities. And nothing. But this adoption was done precisely for the sake of the child.
– Father John, doctors often advise childless couples to resort to radical methods, for example, IVF. How do you feel about this, should spouses agree to this?
– This is all strictly individual. Everyone should resolve this issue with their confessors! As a general recommendation, I can give one thing: open the “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church”, it says there that you cannot resort to IVF. And the reason is explained there - doctors receive several embryos, but at the end - only one, the rest are “wasted”, that is, in relation to the remaining embryos, the sin of infanticide is committed (like abortion). In the 15 years that have passed since the drawing up of the Concept, Medicine has moved forward, something has changed. But all this should be decided with a confessor purely individually, who specifically knows this particular family. The truth is that there is another point: the Lord Himself for some reason does not give it to us, but we insist. This is, first of all, a lack of trust in the will of God. Although I by no means want to say that in all cases it is necessary so categorically. Therefore, this question is directed specifically to the confessor.
– In one magazine, I once read about the miracle of David of Gareji: there was a childless couple, and they were advised to pray to Saint David. Through the prayers of St. David found out that her husband had a long-standing grudge against his father, who abandoned them in childhood. The husband went to confession, repented and forgave his father, after which a long-awaited child was born into the family. Could sin or a spiritual problem be the reason for not having children?
- Anything is possible. But it is absolutely unacceptable to immediately search for why I sinned so much. For example, let us remember the man born blind, when the apostles asked the Lord whether he had sinned and was now being punished or his parents. What was the answer? Neither he nor his parents. That is, it is impossible to say that the Lord punishes for something in this way. Or it could also be this: a person has found some reason and thinks: “I must be so unlucky that I stumbled and now I’m suffering so much.” Or “I’m good, but it’s her (the wife’s) fault. It's all because of you." This is also dangerous and absolutely unacceptable. Yes, often the reason is sins, but you can’t just dig around and look for the cause of childlessness. By the way, this approach is often found in prisons. “Yes, I’m generally a positive person in everything, but one day the evil one misled me (they grabbed me by the hand at that very moment), and now I’m suffering so cruelly.” Although yes, we must consider our spiritual life as a whole. By the way, speaking about prisoners - I remember, it was a long time ago, more than 15 years ago, I confessed to a prisoner. He was closer to 50, he himself graduated from some language university, was a translator, traveled abroad when practically no one went, and his income was significantly higher than the general average. Like many men, he had a passion for weapons, including knives. Moreover, he had permission, he carried bladed weapons from abroad, he had a whole collection at home. And then one day in a small apartment he was playing with a knife. Then his beloved wife jumped out from around the corner (from the kitchen) and ran into a knife, with the saddest result. It’s sad if you consider the concept that I just cited: it turns out - “this is how unfortunate I am, an accident happened, and now I suffer so much.” He says that all his wife’s relatives treated this as an accident, and not as a murder. I was not the first one to whom he confessed in prison. But he mentioned this in passing: about these parties of his and other affairs, that is, about the life that he led before, having a certain income and treating people with condescension. And restaurants, and girls, and so on. Here we must look for what is generally wrong in our lives. Not that he carelessly played with a knife and got hurt because of it. And what led to this is a past life, and not a final accident. We should treat this in the same way in all other cases. Consider our whole life as a whole and try to change and correct it, not that we have found something. In your example, the man could not forgive his father - so what, this is the only dark spot in his entire biography, and we can calm down on this? Perhaps this is also very important, but this does not mean that we can calm down. Why did the holy fathers consider themselves sinners, although from the point of view of the average person there are no saints? But they kept digging, finding and trying to get rid of it. It's the same with us.
– Father, let’s return to the Monk David. You were in Georgia, in the David-Gareji Lavra, where the relics of St. David rest. Tell us about this monastery and the famous source of the “Tears of David.”
– This should not be told, but shown! One of the ancient monasteries, founded in the second half of the 6th century by the Monk David of Gareji. By the end of the saint's life, about 2,000 monastic disciples had gathered around him, and his followers - the Venerables Dodo and Lucian - founded monasteries in the immediate vicinity during his lifetime. In the Gareji desert as a whole there were about 20 monasteries and many cells. The scale of this monastic country, the Georgian Thebaid, can be indicated by the following fact: in 1615, on Easter, on Easter night, all the monks from Gareja gathered in one monastery, because there was a patronal feast there - in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ - there were about 6,000 people gathered . By the way, that temple was half the size of a room, so it served as an altar. So then, that night, the Persian Shah Abass massacred all these gathered monks, 6000 people! This is simply a fact that shows the scale of these monasteries. Moreover, after the invasion of Shah Abass, monastic life in Gareji was restored only in three of the twenty monasteries. One of the three restored monasteries was the David-Gareji Lavra. During Soviet times, it was closed in 1923.
- How many inhabitants are there currently?
- Somewhere around ten. After the restoration of the Lavra, its first inhabitant was the then priest Irakli. Before that, for four years he was the caretaker of the museum-reserve in Gareji. He himself was an architect and archaeologist by training. Then he was ordained and became the first priest of this monastery. Then he took monastic vows, naturally, with the name of David. This is how he turned out to be both the first monk and the first governor of the monastery. Then, in my opinion, in 1992 he accepted episcopal consecration and is now the Metropolitan of Alaverdi . His residence - the ancient Alaverdi monastery - was founded by one of the associates of St. David of Gareji - St. Joseph of Alaverdi. They came together from Syria, Saint Joseph is also one of the Syrian fathers.
– Are the relics of St. David and St. Dodo in the Gareji Lavra?
- Yes, under cover. There is access to the tombs themselves. In 2000, the tomb of St. David of Gareji was opened, they made sure that the relics were in place, they were washed, then they took a small particle of the relics, and left everything as is. By the way, I have a unique photograph of the relics of St. David of Gareji, it was sent to me from Georgia for a book about Saint David.
– The relics of the saint are kept under wraps. They were not raised and found?
– There was no such tradition in Georgia. By the way, the tradition of acquiring relics at any cost is already the end of the 20th century. All the relics that are known in Rus' were basically never specifically found. There was no task to gain power. For example, the relics of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, were found during the reconstruction of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, the relics of St. Sergius - during the construction of the Trinity Cathedral in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. That is, the tomb was not opened on purpose, and the relics were not found on purpose. But in Georgia very little of the relics themselves are known.
– Father John, tell us about the famous source “Tears of David”.
– There is a lot of confusion among women; they confuse two sources. There is a source in Tbilisi on Mount Mtatsminda, at the site of the exploits of St. David is the same healing spring that the monk left behind and, in fact, to which the women of Georgia resort. And the second source is the “Tears of David” source next to the Gareji Lavra. The title is very poetic. By the way, on women’s forums it is sometimes indicated that the source of the “Tears of David” is in Tbilisi. They are confused.
– The spring on Mount Mtatsminda appeared through the prayer of St. David. Isn’t that the source of “Tears of David”?
– He also appeared through the prayers of the Monk David, but if the source on Mount Mtatsminda was asked by the Monk David specifically for the healing of the suffering, then the source of the “tears of David” is, first of all, a vital necessity. After all, Gareji is a very dry area; precipitation occurs four times a year. By the way, I was lucky; I found it raining in Gareji. There is practically no water there, and the only source is “Tears of David”. It yields from 40 to 100 liters per day depending on the time of year. It can’t even be called a spring; it is located in a cave and water oozes through the rock mass. Why is it called "tears"? Because drops of water stand out on the roof of the cave like tears. So they are collected in all sorts of gutters. Everything has been arranged there now. I was there in 2011, there were still gutters there. And my son was there last year and said that it was a little different there. From time immemorial, monks in Gareji also collected rainwater. To do this, gutters were cut down along the slopes of the ridge to collect the flowing water and reservoirs were made into which this water flowed. But now water is brought in by tankers.
– How to properly drink this water from the holy source - only on an empty stomach?
- Not important. There are different types of holy water; there is actually a consecrated source, often drawn from one or another saint or consecrated in honor of some saint. We drink this water, we wash ourselves with it, we bathe in it. We use it widely. Second: there is water that is blessed with a special rite at a prayer service - here the attitude towards it is different. For some reason we don’t boil it, we don’t cook soup with it. And third, a special rite is Epiphany water. If the water is especially blessed, then we drink it on an empty stomach. But you can drink water from the source throughout the day.
– In your temple you can buy a small bottle of water from the Georgian spring of St. David. But there is very little of it. Can it be diluted with other water?
“Our parishioners do this: they take water from the prayer service to St. David and little by little add water from the source to it.
– We touched a little on the topic of Georgian traditions of venerating relics. Are there any other Orthodox traditions in Georgia that differ from ours?
– If we return to the topic of relics, then first I would like to say that three saints were recently glorified: St. Gabriel (Urgebadze) and two elders from Brittany. Their relics were nevertheless found and, according to our tradition, they lie for worship. Now Georgia is adopting the Greek charter. There was a time when the Georgian Church was still part of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a special question, a sore point, because the annexation of the Georgian Church to ours in the 19th century was by no means canonical. In 1811, the Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch was summoned to a meeting of the Synod in St. Petersburg and sent to one of the monasteries, without being allowed to return to his homeland, and the Exarch was sent to Georgia. This issue was perceived painfully there. Naturally, in the 19th century, Georgia lived according to the Russian charter, but now they are increasingly turning to Greek traditions and, basically, Matins are served in the morning before the Liturgy, and the All-Night Vigil is served quite rarely. If we often have Vespers and Matins served in the evening, even if it is not a major holiday, then they do not: Vespers is served in the evening, and Matins in the morning before the Liturgy.
– In Greece and some other Orthodox countries, a tradition has been established according to which women do not cover their heads in church.
– By the way, the Greek clergy regards this with great pain. In September I was in Greece, lived in the Greek Convent of the Archangel Michael, and there the priest lamented that in Greece they don’t wear headscarves. He said that it’s very nice when Russian women come with headscarves.
– Is there a rise in spiritual life in Georgia? Do you feel a craving for spiritual life among young people?
– Let’s start with the fact that there are a lot of young people in churches there. I think the percentage in relation to the population is much higher than ours. When a peaceful revolution was carried out under Saakashvili and parliament was elected, everyone was afraid that this would lead to bloody clashes with the authorities. Then the Patriarch imposed a week-long fast on his flock, and every day they walked through the cities with religious processions and sprinkled everyone with holy water. By the grace of God everything passed peacefully without any incident. In general, His Holiness Patriarch Elijah is an indisputable authority in Georgia. His Holiness made a very interesting move to increase the birth rate: he announced that every third child in the family was his godson.
- Did the people respond?
- So he baptized hundreds! Naturally, many priests took part in baptisms, but the Patriarch himself is the godparent. This remains true to this day. The number of families with at least three children has increased significantly.
– Do we have Eucharistic communion with the Georgian Church? Can our pilgrims receive communion there?
- Naturally. There are churches where services are conducted in Russian, for example, this is the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Tbilisi. Georgian priests serve there, but in Russian. Our pilgrims can come there for confession.
Brief life of St. David of Gareji
The Monk David of Gareji came to Georgia from Syria in the middle of the 6th century together with the Monk John of Zedazni, among his twelve disciples. At first, the holy Syrians settled on Mount Zedazeni, not far from Mtskheta. But after 3 years, Saint John sent his disciples to different parts of Georgia. The Monk David and his disciple Lucian settled in the vicinity of Tbilisi on Mount Mtatsminda (“Holy Mountain”).
Every Thursday, Saint David descended from the mountain to the city to instruct residents in the fundamentals of the Christian faith. At that time, fire worship was actively developing in Tbilisi, and the pagan priests strongly took up arms against the meek monk David, who tried to return the residents to the Orthodox faith. The priests persuaded one seduced pregnant maiden to accuse Saint David of her disgrace. Residents of the city summoned the saint to trial. The monk approached the girl and, touching her womb with his staff, asked: “Am I your father?” A voice came from the womb: “No,” and the true culprit of her fall was named. After this, in front of the amazed eyes of the people, the girl gave birth to a stone. In memory of such wondrous intercession of the Lord, Saint David asked God to grant a holy healing spring on that mountain, to which Georgian women still resort for help.
After this, Saint David and his disciple Lucian retired to the desert area of Gareji. Here in the mountain they dug cells for themselves and began to live. Soon other monks began to gather around them. This is how the David-Gareji Lavra appeared over time.
Shortly before his death, St. David went to the Holy Land. When the saint had already reached Jerusalem and climbed the mountain from which the Holy City was visible, he told his disciples that he was not worthy to trample the ground on which Christ Himself walked. He dismissed his disciples, and with prayer he took three stones from the ground, put them in his bag and went back. At that moment, an Angel of God appeared to the Patriarch of Jerusalem and reported that God’s beloved monk David had taken all the grace of the Holy Sepulcher and ordered to equip a walker who would take two stones from David. The third stone was brought by the Monk David to Georgia, and it is still kept in Tbilisi. It is with this stone of grace in his hand that Saint David is depicted on the icon of the Russian letter.
In 604, Saint David, having received Holy Communion, died peacefully. His memory is celebrated on the first Thursday after the Ascension of the Lord.
Information sheet:
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Gryazekh is located at:
G. Moscow, st. Pokrovka 13 (m. Kitay-Gorod)
Official website of the temple: http://www.triradosti.ru/
Every week on Mondays at 18:00 performed in the temple prayer service to Saint David of Gareji, during which an icon of the saint with a particle of his relics is taken out from the altar.
In the temple you can purchase holy water, blessed at the prayer service of St. David, as well as holy water from the Georgian source of the saint and holy oil. Another shrine of the temple is miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Three Joys”, in front of which Wednesday evenings is being done prayer service with akathist.