Memorial Day of St. Theodore of Sanaksar

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of Remembrance of St Theodore of Sanaksar on March 4, the anniversary of the death of the holy father The exact birthday of the saint is not known, but it happened in 1718 A boy from the noble Ushakov family was given the name John at baptism Upon reaching adulthood, the young man, like other offspring of wealthy families, was assigned to military service The metropolitan cheerful life soon turned the head of the young successful sergeant, but one incident turned his worldview and future destiny upside down One day, during a carefree mess in the company of friends, one of John’s comrades suddenly died The instant death of a young man without repentance struck Ushakov so much that he decides to leave the achievements of his former life and become a hermit John flees from service and relatives into the deep Pomeranian forests Here he finds a lonely cell, which will become his refuge for three years spent in fasting, repentance and prayer John was returned to the capital by the police as a person without documents Many recognized the former reveling military man and were amazed at the changes that had happened to him Empress Elizaveta Petrovna herself showed interest in the fate of the guardsman who became a hermit But all that Ushakov wished for was monastic obedience The royal person did not object to John, but wished that his monastic path would take place in St Petersburg In 1748, after three years of obedience at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, John took monastic vows under the name Theodore The young monk was distinguished by his special piety and humility, and soon the laity reached out to him for a kind word and advice Such popularity of John caused a lot of anger and envy among the monastery brethren, and written complaints, insults and prohibitions began to flow Humbly enduring all the undeserved reproaches for several years, Theodore nevertheless decides to retire to the Sarov hermitage Many of his disciples followed the monk, but the holy father, upon arrival in the hermitage, refused to lead them, since he received too painful a lesson in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery Theodore goes to the abandoned Sanaksar desert, which at that time was in complete decline Through the efforts of the elder, who became the abbot, the monastery in Sanaksar was restored, a new church was built, and forest and river lands were improved Despite the strict order established by the monk in the monastery, ordinary people flocked to the monastery for inspiration and strengthening of their faith But the slander again slandered Father Theodore, and the elder was exiled to Solovki, where he spent 9 years in strict confinement Only after the highest permission of Empress Catherine, the monk was able to return to his native Sanaksar hermitage, where he died at the age of 73 in 1791 A few days after Theodore's death, it was noticed that the dead body did not decay and exuded a fragrance The holy relics of the elder were recognized as miraculous Many believers helped themselves and their loved ones through the power of prayer addressed to St Theodore