PETERSBURG Xenia

(~ 1719-1730 - ~ 1794-1806gg)
The phenomenon of St. Xenia.
This woman I know long. Now, of course, more to the stories of her faraway St. Petersburg zhizni.Elina gone from our town immediately after graduation. After a brilliant passing through all five steps of the Institute of Culture, . married a naval officer and remained on the banks of granite Nevy.Ee mother, . tall, slender woman-certified pediatrician physician, . not accustomed to moan and groan of separation, . with a smile, showed us slides of the wedding her daughter, . where Ella was in a sumptuous and, . seemed to shine from schastya.Vera Pavlovna mildly vyshuchivalabytovye problems of young, . that huddled together with her mother in law in a small, . two-room apartment, and even then the first time in her story flashed: "Often my Ellochka goes to the chapel of Blessed Xenia, pray ..." This was said with a slightly smoldering bitterness,
. But if we value these words are not given. Time went by and all otdalyalos.Ya heard vaguely that Elina had a son that she had serious health problems, and if not for life in the northern capital and communications husband had become by that time big businessman, who knows what would have been ...
. We accidentally met with Vera Pavlovna have znakomyh.Postarevshaya, . but all the same trim, . youthful gleam in his eyes, . she warmly hugged menya.Pahnulo familiar spirits: "From Ellochka - hello ..."- She still pomnitN! - And how! Invariably, he mentions all the relatives and friends, . putting in the chapel every Sunday Xenia candles! It is only to her and gets ezdit.Esli - inside the chapel, there is no break-narodischu! - For hours crying, . crying ...,
. And of these stones-slab funeral strokes, . gladit.Ya would proceed: "Elinochka, . Yes, what did tyN! But if you cry-toN! - Vera softly clapping hands, . but recalls and even voice, . mastered, . a, . continues: "And she told me Mom -, . leave, . leave, . You do not understand, . I better, . I pray for her! ",
. Vyjdu her wait on the street, and there all around the chapel tropinochka trampled, stones in stenahgladkiestali ... There is a belief there is one:
. If you want success in business and holy blagoosloveniya, then pray, and compass chapel around three times, touching the wall with his hands
. Ellochka, so did ... And I had not raz.A because I am a doctor, an atheist!
. "I do not understand ... but pray it, . shall call her name, . and soul as if some enlightenment ... All Petersburg knows her name, . from the suburbs go to okrain.I little old ladies, . mostly young people! is amazing, . inexplicable! If she had not seen, . over Ellochka would laugh and only! Who onaN you at least know something about neyN,
. Tell me. "And our autumn tea drinking has been going to the accompaniment of my story, raindrops on the glass and crawling drebezzhzhanie buses - stop ovarian cancer
. (ok.1719-1730-ok.1794-1806gg.)
. Canonized by the ROC in 1988.
. Unlike other saints, years of life and death Xenia of St. Petersburg known at least approximately, and knocked the epitaph on the grave.
. But it adds little to her photograph to her life in tselom.Do long as it does not become blessed Xenia.
. Xenia G. Petrova to twenty-six years she was married to Colonel Andrei Fedorovich Petrov, . served at the royal court pevchim.Po the time the position is considered an honorable, . high, . recruited in the imperial choir of beautiful people and talantlivyh.Povsednevnaya life of a young couple, . close to the royal court, . no different from the lives of other wealthy semeystv.Kseniya itself well sang and played music together, . led exemplary home and farm,
. Nothing promised troubles young seme.No, as stated in one of the Psalms: "My way - not your way, and my thoughts - not your thoughts!
. Favorite Xenia Andrei Fedorovich dies suddenly, without repentance and communion ... The death of so shocked the conscience of a young woman that completely changed her perception of the world, ideas about life, death ..
. She leaves the house, saying that it is no more in this world, her body continues to live a soul she loves the man whom she so quickly poteryala.Ona not grumble, not the wrath of God curses.
. His rich and well-kept house evading familiar without a Dowry, . a girl named Parasha.Ta, . falls to his knees, . covered with kisses the hands benefactress and asked, . Where is she will now zhitN .. Xenia meets a strange phrase: "He has, under cover of birds nebesnye.Ne sow, . not zhnut.Ya no worse than a bird nebesnoy.Pust all his will be! ",
. Startled relatives rushed for help to the king's officials, . so that those found, . interviewing the widow of Colonel, . its slaboumie.No these conversations led to a completely opposite rezultatu.Zdravy man, . has a great spiritual force, . it is impossible to him on the grounds, . that he wants to live under the laws of Christ, . hiding in a lunatic asylum.,
. Distributed his property to the poor, . Ksenia just left home, . choosing a religious path brodyazhki.Ona in any weather roamed the streets of St. Petersburg and at first, . rebetnya crowds ran trace, . laughed as neyu.No - once uglyadevshi, . that Xenia often barefoot standing on a hill, . prays and puts prostrations to the four cardinal, . dumbfounded, . opened their mouths and ran through the streets shouting: "Blessed, . blessed!,
. By the blessed and the poor, by the way, Russia has a special relationship:-bogy-word itself showed, meant that a person is under the special protection of God
. By the words of Blessed Xenia began to listen, . follow them and often they prophetically sbyvalis.Schitalos, . that if someone takes a penny Blessed Xenia, . that - a pious man, . who refuses-dishonest, . litsemeren.Detey Xenia loved and often threw on their hands:, . blessing, . their alms.,
. She asked to bless the young, house, detey.Ona not refused, but could come, for example, suddenly, to a completely unfamiliar lyudyam.Te felt honored to feed her, put in the red corner
. Merchants give her sable fur coats, hats, from everything she refused, gave to the poor, although she was then-KtoN
"Under the wing of the Lord" has always said she. Barefoot standing in the snow prayed, . used, . before dawn for the sick or the accident, . If prosili.Iz clothes picked a sweater and skirt in two colors - red, the color of blood of the Savior and the Christian-Green color Nadezhdy.Dolgoe time until everything is turned into rags, went to her husband's clothes, . his overcoat.,
. How many marriages blessed it for good luck, . how many houses warmed warmth of his prayer.! Entering, . somehow familiar to the family Golubev, . scared of their unmarried daughter, saying: "Ah, . girl, . now you're sitting here, . stocking vyazhesh, . and your husband something to Ohtinskom cemetery is his half buries, . Yes weeping bitterly! Run-ka rather the cemetery!,
. The frightened girl did not dare to contradict the holy and together with his mother ran to, . where ukazali.A at this time a young doctor, . only, . that he had buried his wife, . who dies in childbirth, . lying unconscious on her mogile.Mat and daughter picked him up, . resulted in feelings and carried to the house ... Is it necessary to explain dalneysheeNSkoro Xenia blessed for good luck young bride doctor.,
. Worn wings of the angels of God, not otherwise, Xenia spend 42 years of such podvizhnecheskoy and holy life
. How could she, frail and weak in appearance, withstanding all this - knows only the forces of heaven.
. Russia loved her, . But St. Petersburg - osobo.Posle death of the Holy Blessed townspeople have come to regard it as their pokrovitelnitsey.Chtoby keep the grave-worshipers and believers dragging away a handful-built chapel ... But even the stone slab broke off a piece and pastaskivalas .. (. vetom point of my story familiar nods, . a faint smile and wiping away a tear.) Most of the fence you can see the chapel fluffy fattened three-color koshechku.Takih loved blessed and those, . who come in its chapel, . strive to pet and feed the animals, . that fawns all.,
. Trodden path around the chapel never powder with snow, and its walls are smooth to the touch of thousands ladoney.Okolo one, especially smooth, always fresh flowers
. Inside the chapel, close - an unquenchable lamp and cool - just for the prayers ... such as prayer Elina-quiet, bitter, strange, sometimes the very heart of ...
. Do you hear them blessed KseniyaN probably da.Inache overgrown path and would not be flowers near the wall ..
.
With appreciation and gratitude - 18.11.00 Sv.Makarenko.
* All the real names in the story changed.