The Monk Vitaly (saint): Life and Interesting Facts

Immortality is the state of which one dreamsevery person, and it really exists. The source of immortality is the Resurrection of Christ. At the end of life, after Christ's Resurrection, death no longer rules over a person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christians are the Christ-bearers, that is, the bearers andthe possessor of eternal life, which is given in proportion to faith and in proportion to holiness. Saints are ordinary people in flesh and blood, but the most perfect Christians, for they have sanctified themselves with deeds in the name of the risen and eternal Christ the Savior.

Lives of Saints

Since ancient times, the deeds of the venerable, martyrs,the saints were recorded and sacredly kept by the devotees of piety. Gradually, many legends were collected, which are commonly called the "Lives of the Saints." In the article we will consider the life of one amazing saint named Vitaly.

This reverend Vitaly (saint) lived in the secondhalf of the sixth century. His feat was the only one of its kind, as far as we know, neither before nor after, no one dared to repeat such actions, until they were unusual. But his example of spiritual holiness can teach a lot to any person, especially monks.

The Life of Saint Vitaly

The future reverend Vitaly from youthful poresHe fought in the monastery of the Monk Serida near the city of Gaza, near the Holy Land. Up to sixty years, Vitaly (the saint) did not leave the walls of the monastery, but then changed his life dramatically.

In old age the monk decides to leaveThe walls of the monastery and settles in the city of Alexandria. At that time, Alexandria was a huge city, as they say, a metropolis, and the customs of its inhabitants were not distinguished by meekness and humility. The abbots of nearby monasteries, in very extreme cases, blessed the monks to enter the city, and this feat was used to equip the most spiritually strong monks, who would not succumb to temptation, would not fall into temptation.

And St. Vitaly writes to himself in a memorialall the harlots of this city, and he himself settles in a private apartment. Since the morning, this saint is working on day-to-day work, in the evening he buys a little food (the life says "beans"), and the rest of the money he gives to one of the numerous whores of Alexandria. That is, he buys a night with this woman. Residents of the city, upon learning of this, came into such indignation that day and night they reviled the holy man, as soon as he called him.

Feat of the Reverend

Usually people in others see the sins that arethey make it themselves, and they are pleased that not only are they so sinful. The inhabitants of Alexandria themselves were far from holiness, and probably many of them used the services of the priestesses of love, but they could not forgive this vice to a monk who before their clean life rebuked their conscience. This case is very revealing for modern people who gladly accuse the church and its ministers, if something is noticed in imperfection or vice.

As the residents of the city later learned, the monk Vitaly,a holy life, a person locked himself with harlots, gave these unfortunate women at least one night to forget about their dirty work, to get enough sleep or together with him to pray to the Lord. He is not one of those with whom he spent time, did not condemn, did not convict, but only regretted. And many prostitutes became on a righteous path. Some of them repented, got married, gave birth to children and became faithful wives, others went to the monastery and kept clean until death.

Condemnation is a sin

The Monk Vitaly prayed all night for thesewomen, but strictly forbade them to talk about themselves. With each of them he took an oath that she would not tell the truth about him. The Monk simply followed the Savior's words that the left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. The Lord commanded good deeds to be done in secret, so that they can not be glorified through them. St. Vitaly fulfilled this command to the end, he not only remained a secret, but also tolerated unrighteous reproaches from sinful people. St. Vitaly (the icon of which is in any Orthodox church) helps everyone who appeals to him to protect a loved one from a blemish or to pray for himself as a sinner.

His example shows that it is impossible for anyonecondemn. The heart of man is seen only by God, and He is the judge, and the rest of the people are judging by their own measure of sinfulness. The sin of one person before another is nothing compared to the sin that a person commits before the Lord.

The act of John the Merciful

And although the Reverend concealed his feat, it is notjustifies those who blamed him or openly defied him. But in the city there was still a man who did not condemn the saint. It was the Alexandrian Patriarch John the Most Merciful. When rumors about the behavior of St. Vitalius reached him, John the Most Gracious refused to believe them and cited the example of the Emperor Constantine the Great, who, while not reading, burned the written denunciations against some bishops and priests, saying that it was not his business to judge the clergy. Another emperor added that if he had seen a priest or a monk with a harlot with his own eyes, he would cover it with his own cloak so that no one would look.

Demoniac and Vitaly (holy)

The Monk Vitaly the day before his deathhe met one young man, headed for the house of debauchery. This arrogant young man went up to St. Vitaly and hit him on the cheek for what the monk, in his opinion, disgraced the name of Christ. The saint calmly took it, but said that the young man would also receive a slap for it that all townspeople would gather for his scream.

And so it happened: when the monk came to his cell and began to pray, then after some time passed away, and the young man was a demon, and struck him on the cheek, and said it was him in the face of Vitali monk. The young man from this fallen into such madness that was rolling on the ground and shouted frantically. At his cry of people came running, and a little come to himself, he, along with all ran home to St. There they saw the saint, kneeling, and in his hand a scroll with the inscription, which read that the Alexandrians did not condemn anyone before the time, until the Lord comes, the righteous judge.

The unfortunate youth was healed only aftertouched the saint, along with him healed from besnovaniya and one of the harlots, violating the oath about the non-disclosure of the secrets of the Venerable Vitaly. Other women who knew the mystery of the saint and were no longer connected with it, told about the monk and restored his honor.

John the Most Merciful with great honor through the city carried the remains of the saint. He was buried by the whole city. St. Vitaly's Day (Commemoration Day) is celebrated according to the Orthodox calendar on May 5.

Vitaly's patrons

The name Vitali in Latin"vital". In addition to the holy Venerable Vitaly, the martyr Vitaly the Romans is also known, who suffered a painful death for Christ along with his brothers and mother, the holy martyr Felicata, who lived in Rome for about 164 years.

And Vitaly the Romans, and the holy Venerable VitalyAlexandria, as the patron saints of Vitali (any person baptized with this name), stand guard and come in a difficult moment, it is only necessary to turn to them.

Musician Vitaliy Efremochkin

In the musical circle, the history of onea musician who turned to God and began to write music and songs dedicated to Him. It happened with Vitaly Efremochkin - Ukrainian musician and composer, vocalist, author of improvisations and arranger. He believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and dedicated his creativity to Vitaly Efremochkin. "The Holy King" is a composition he wrote not so long ago, but it became popular among believers.