Memorial Day of Saints Cyril and Mary of Radonezh

The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Saints Cyril and Mary, parents of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, on January 31 and October 11 Living in the vicinity of the Horde threat, the couple showed the highest example of raising a son capable of the feat of a true Christian in the most difficult times for the faith Rostov boyar Prince Kirill married a girl of unknown origin at the end of the 13th century Despite their prosperity and high position, the couple preferred to live far from the city in rural silence There they were engaged in manual labor on a par with ordinary peasants, Kirill did a lot of crafts, and Maria sat up late at handicrafts Those around them noted the Christian kindness of the boyar couple, their respect for church rules and rituals, sympathy for the poor, and hospitable attitude towards strangers The couple had several children, one of whom was destined to become the spiritual mentor of the entire Russian people Maria learned about the extraordinary gift of a child when she was pregnant At the Divine Liturgy, the baby cried out three times in his mother’s womb during the Cherubic Song immediately after the words of the priest “Holy of Holies” Those around also heard the child’s exclamation, which was very surprising Realizing that she was carrying an extraordinary child, Mary observed fasts and church instructions with special zeal, and in agreement with her husband, she decided to dedicate the born baby to the service of the Lord In 1314, on the third day of May, a boy was born, who, after the prescribed forty days, was carried to church for baptism The priest sensed the baby’s special purpose, informed those around him and gave the boy the name Bartholomew in memory of the holy apostle Attentive parents immediately began to notice the peculiarities of little Bartholomew The baby observed fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays and completely refused the mother’s breast if Mary’s food contained non-lenten food Growing up, the boy continued to abstain, and the mother, despite her worries, supported her son in his resistance to temptation The hardships of the Horde invasion did not bypass the Rostov lands, and boyar Kirill and his family had to move to the city of Radonezh, Moscow principality At the age of 20, Bartholomew asked his parents for their blessing to enter a monastery, to which he received consent, but only when the time of death of Cyril and Mary arrived Other children of the elderly spouses had already managed to create their own families, and only Bartholomew could continue to delight their old age Shortly before their death, both Cyril and Maria decide to devote their last days to prayers within the walls of the monastery In 1337, a couple of schema-monks went to the Lord and found their last refuge in the land of the Intercession Monastery Before his death, the couple managed to bless Bartholomew to become a monk, after which he took the name Sergius, gathered disciples around him and founded the Trinity Monastery, later the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra Many people came to Father Sergius for help, many began to visit the grave of his reverend parents and notice that their prayers did not go unanswered A custom has developed among pilgrims - before coming to Sergius himself, one should pray before the relics of Cyril and Mary Over the past centuries, faith in the intercession of the holy spouses grew stronger and multiplied, and Saint Sergius became not just a key figure in the history of Rus', but hope and strength leading to revival