St. Sergius of Radonezh

Troparion, Tone 4

UPLIFTER of virtues, a true warrior of Christ God,
Eagerly rising against passions in this temporal life,
in psalmody, vigils, and fasting thou wert an example to thy disciples.
Thereby the Holy Spirit abideth in thee,
And with His activity thon hast been radiantly adorned.
Since thou hast a daring access to the Holy Trinity,
Remember thy flock whom thou hast wisely gathered,
And do not forget, as thou hast promised, to visit thy children,
O Sergius, our holy Father.



St. Sergius' Holy Trinity Lavra


The Life of ST. SERGIUS OF RADONEZH

From the Life of His Disciple Epiphanius the Wise

OUR HOLY FATHER SERGIUS was born of noble, devout, Orthodox parents named Cyril and Mary in the year 1314. He was christened Bartholomew and was the second of three brothers, the eldest being Stephen and the youngest Peter. All were raised in strict piety and purity.

Stephen and Peter quickly learned to read and write, but Bartholomew did not so easily learn; he could not put his mind to his studies nor keep pace with his companions. The boy often prayed to God in secret and with many tears: "O Lord, give me understanding of this learning. Teach me, O Lord, enlighten and instruct me."

The great Saint received learning not from men, but from God. One day his father sent him to find a lost foal. On his way he met a monk, a venerable elder, who was standing beneath an oak tree, praying devoutly with many tears. The boy made a low obeisance to him and awaited the end of his prayers. His prayer finished, the monk glanced at the boy and, conscious that he beheld the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, called him to his side, blessed him, bestowed on him a kiss in the Name of Christ, and asked: "What are you seeking, child? "The boy answered, "My soul desires above all things to understand the Holy Scriptures, and I am sorely vexed that I cannot learn reading and writing. Will you, holy father, pray to God for me, that He will give me understanding of book learning?" The monk raised his hands and his eyes towards heaven, sighed, prayed to God, and said, "Amen." Then, taking from his sachel, as if it were some treasure, with three fingers he handed the boy what appeared to be a little bit of antidoron, saying, "Take this in your mouth, child, and eat; this is given you as a sign of God's grace and for the understanding of Holy Scriptures. Though the gift appears but small, the taste thereof is very sweet."


St. Sergius depicted performing various monastic tasks: chopping wood, baking bread.


The boy ate, tasting a sweetness as of honey, and said, "Is it not written, How sweet are Thy Words to my palate, more than honey to my lips, and my soul doth cherish them exceedingly?" The monk answered, "If you believe, child, more than this will be revealed to you; from this time forth the Lord will give you learning above that of your brothers and others your own age."

At the boy's urgent request the monk accompanied him to his parents' house, where Cyril and Mary came out to meet him and bowed low before him. The monk blessed them, and they offered him food, but he went first into the chapel and began to recite the Hours, telling the boy to read the Psalms. To the astonishment of all present, the boy, having received the monk's blessing, began to recite in an excellent rhythm; and from that hour he could read.

All returned to the house, where the monk ate, bestowed a blessing on the parents, and calmed their fears; for as they informed him, their son, while yet in his mother's womb, had three times uttered a cry in church during the Divine Liturgy. "O blessed pair!" he exclaimed. "Why do you fear where there is no place for fear? Rather rejoice, for the boy will be great before God and man, thanks to his life of godliness." He further pronounced that their son would serve the Holy Trinity and would lead many to an understanding of the Divine precepts.


St. Sergius drawing water and making clothes for the brethren.


They accompanied him to the doorway, where suddenly he became invisible. Perplexed, they wondered if he had been an angel sent to give the boy knowledge of reading. After this the boy could read any book, was submissive to his parents, attended church services daily, studied holy writings, and constantly disciplined his body and preserved himself in purity of body and soul.

At this time Cyril moved with his family from Rostov, where there was then much civil strife, to Radonezh, where he settled near the church of the Nativity of Christ. Two of his sons, Stephen and Peter, married but Bartholomew was desirous of becoming a monk. His parents counseled him to wait and to look after them, because they were old, poor, and sick, and had no one else to turn to. Bartholomew gladly cared for them until both of them entered the monastic life. They lived but a few years thereafter.

Bartholomew gave his share of his father's inheritance to his younger brother Peter, keeping nothing for himself. Stephen's wife soon died also, leaving two sons, and Stephen renounced the world and became a monk. Bartholomew went to him and asked him to accompany him in the search for some desert place. Together they explored many parts of the forest, until finally they found a clearing in the middle of the forest, near a stream. After inspecting the place, they prayed and were satisfied, and set to chopping wood.

First they built themselves a hut and then constructed a small chapel. Both agreed that the chapel should be dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity because of the signs that had been given Bartholomew, even in his mother's womb, that he would be a disciple of the Holy Trinity and would lead many others to believe in the Holy Trinity. Bartholomew then went to obtain the blessing of the ruling prelate, and a priest was sent by Theognost, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, to consecrate the chapel.

Stephen did not long remain in the wilderness with his brother. He began to find the hardships too great to endure. On all sides was nothing but forest and wasteland. There were no roads or paths, no villages or houses, no means of providing food and drink, and as yet no one came to the Saint or brought him anything. Stephen could not endure all this and left his brother and went to Moscow. There, in the Monastery of the Epiphany, he passed his time in ascetic practices, laboring in this together with Alexis, the future Metropolitan and Saint. The Grand Duke Simeon came to hear of Stephen and his godly life and had him ordained priest and later abbot of the Monastery, appointing him also as his own confessor.

Bartholomew had not taken monastic vows at this time, for as yet he had not enough experience of monasteries and of all that is required of a monk. After a while, however, he invited a spiritual elder, the Abbot Metrophan, to come and visit him in his solitude. In great humility he entreated him, "Father, may the love of God be with us, and give me the tonsure of a monk. From childhood have I loved God and set my heart on him these many years, but my parents' needs withheld me. Now I am free from all bonds, and I thirst, as the hart thirsts for the springs of living water."

The Abbot gave him the tonsure on the seventh day of October, giving him the name Sergius, for it was the feast day of the blessed martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. The newly-tonsured monk was twenty-three years old. Blessed Sergius received Holy Communion, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit came upon him and remained with him henceforth. From one whose witness is true and sure we are told that when he partook of the Holy Sacrament, the chapel and all around it was filled with a sweet odor. The Saint remained in the chapel for seven days, eating nothing but one prosphora given by the Abbot, giving himself up to fasting and prayer, having on his lips the Psalms of David.

The Saint in all humility asked the Abbot's instruction on living alone in the wilderness and wrestling with the enemy; and the Abbot, after discoursing with him for a while on spiritual matters, commended him to God and went away, leaving him to silence and the wilderness.


St. Sergius making prosphora


Under different forms the demons often wrestled with the Saint, but they failed to overcome the firm and fearless spirit of the ascetic. At one moment it was satan who laid his snares, at another incursions of wild beasts took place. In particular a bear used to come to the holy man. Seeing that the animal came only to get some food, the Saint placed a small slice of bread on a log, and so the bear learned to come for the meal thus prepared for him. At this time the Saint had no variety of foods, only bread and water from the spring, and a great scarcity of these. Often there was no bread, and both he and the bear went hungry. Sometimes the Saint would give his only slice of bread to the bear, being unwilling to disappoint him.

After some time certain God-fearing monks came to visit St. Sergius. They expressed their willingness to endure the hardships of the place, with God's help and his prayers. Holy Sergius, seeing their faith and zeal, marvelled, and said, "My brethren, I desired to dwell alone in the wilderness and to die in this place. If it be God's will that there shall be a monastery in this place, with many brethren, then may God's holy will be done. I welcome you with joy, but let each one build himself a cell. And let it be known to you, if you come to dwell in the wilderness, that the beginning of righteousness is the fear of the Lord."

To increase his own fear of the Lord he spent day and night in the study of God's word. Being young in years and strong in body, he could do the work of two men or more. The devil now strove to wound him with the darts of concupiscence. But the Saint disciplined his body, mastering it with fasting, and thus was he protected by the grace of God.

The Saint was present every day with the brethren in church for the reciting of the daily cycle of services – Nocturns, Matins, the Hours, and Vespers. For the Liturgy a priest came from one of the villages. At first, because of his humility, St. Sergius did not wish to be raised to the priesthood, and especially did not wish to become an abbot. He constantly remarked that the beginning and root of all evil lay in pride of rank, and ambition to be an abbot.

The monks were few in number, about a dozen. They built small cells for themselves within the enclosure and put up gates at the entrance. Sergius built four cells with his own hands and performed other monastic duties at the request of the brethren. The monastery came to be a wonderful place to look upon. The forest was not far away, the shade and murmur of trees hung above the cells; around the church was a space of trunks and stumps where many kinds of vegetables were sown.

The Saint flayed the grain and ground it in the mill, baked the bread and cooked the food, cut out shoes and clothing and stitched them; he drew water from the spring flowing nearby, carrying it in two pails on his shoulders, and put water in each cell. He spent the night in prayer, without sleep, eating only bread and water, and those in small quantities. He never spent an idle hour.

Within a year the abbot who had given the tonsure to St. Sergius died, and the brethren begged the Saint to become their abbot. He protested, but finally agreed to submit to the will of God. And so he, together with two elders, went to Bishop Athanasius of Volynya, begging him to give them an abbot and guide of their souls. But the venerable Athanasius had heard of the Saint and his good deeds, and he replied, "It is you who will be father and abbot of your brethren." The Saint insisted on his unworthiness, but the bishop said, "Beloved, you have acquired all virtues save obedience." And the blessed Sergius, bowing low, replied. "May God's will be done. Praised be the Lord forever and ever." And all answered, "Amen."

Without delay the holy bishop led blessed Sergius to the church, and ordained him subdeacon and then deacon. The following morning the Saint was raised to the dignity of the priesthood and was told to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. Later, after speaking to him about the teachings of the apostles and holy fathers, and giving him the holy kiss, the bishop sent him forth as abbot, pastor, and physician of his spiritual brethren.

Our revered father Sergius returned to his monastery, and there the brethren bowed low before him. He blessed them, saying, "Brethren, pray for me. I am altogether ignorant, and I have received a talent from the highest, and I shall have to render an account of it, and of the flock committed to me."

There were twelve brethren when he became abbot, and he was the thirteenth. This number did not change until Simon, the archimandrite of Smolensk, arrived among them; and from that time their number steadily increased.

God made St. Sergius as strong as one of the early fathers, a lover of hard work, and head over a great number of monks. From the time he was appointed abbot, the Divine Liturgy was sung every day. He himself baked the holy bread, entrusting this duty to no one. He also cooked the grains for the kutia and made the candles. Although occupying the chief place as abbot, he did not alter in any way his monastic rules, and he was lowly and humble with all.

He never sent away anyone who came to him for tonsure, but neither did he give him the tonsure at once. He who would be a monk was ordered first to wear a cassock and live with the brethren until he became accustomed to all the monastic rules; later he was given full monk's attire of cloak and hood; finally, when he was deemed worthy, he was allowed the schema, the mark of the ascetic.

After Vespers, and late at night, especially on long winter nights, the Saint used to go the round of the monks' cells. If he heard anyone saying his prayers, or making prostrations, or busy with his handiwork, he was gratified and gave thanks to God But if he heard two or three monks chatting together or laughing, he was displeased, rapped on the door or window, and passed on. In the morning he would gently reprove them, indirectly, by means of some parable. The humble and submissive would quickly admit their fault and beg his forgiveness. But if one was not humble, but stood erect thinking he was not the person referred to, then the Saint would patiently explain his fault and order him to do public penance. Thus all learned to pray to God assiduously, not to chat after Vespers, to work hard, and to have the Psalms of David all day on their lips.

In the beginning there were many hardships. At times there was no bread or flour, no wine for the Holy Sacrament, no incense or wax candles. The monks sang Matins at dawn with no lights, save that of a single birch or pine torch.

One time there was a great scarcity of bread and salt. The Saint gave orders that no one was to go out, nor beg from the laity, but that all should remain patiently in the monastery and await God's compassion. He himself spent three or four days without food. On the fourth day he chopped and worked all day making an entry-way at the cell of one of the elders, for the price of a few mouldy loaves of bread. At close of day, when he received the promised loaves, he offered a prayer and ate the bread and drank some water.

One of the monks, having had nothing to eat for two days, murmured against St. Sergius, and the Saint, seeing that all the brethren were enfeebled and in distress, assembled the whole brotherhood and gave them instruction from Holy Scriptures, saying, "God's grace cannot be given without trials; after tribulation comes joy. It is written, In the evening weeping may pitch its tent, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 29:6). Now you have no bread or food, but tomorrow you will enjoy an abundance."

As he was speaking there came a rapping at the gates. The porter, seeing that a store of provisions had been brought, ran to tell the Saint, who at once gave the order for the gates to be opened. But before all else he commanded that the samantron be sounded, and with the brethren he went into the church to sing the service of thanksgiving. Going then to the refectory, they ate the fresh bread, which was still warm and soft, and the taste of it was sweet, as if honey were mingled with juice of barley and spices. When they had eaten, the Saint remarked, "And where is our brother who was murmuring about mouldy bread? May he notice that it is sweet and fresh. Let us remember the prophet who said, I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping" (Ps. 101:10). Then he enquired who had sent the bread. The messengers announced, "A pious layman, very wealthy, living a great distance away, sent it to Sergius and his brotherhood."

The following day more food and drink were brought in the same manner, and again on the third day. The Saint, seeing this, gave glory to God before all the brethren, saying, "You see, brethren, God provides for everything, and neither does He abandon this place." From this time forth the monks learned to be patient under trials and privations, enduring all things, trusting in the Lord God with fervent faith, and being strengthened therein by their holy father Sergius.

Blessed Sergius never wore new clothing; he wore only plain cloth, worn, dirty, patched. So shabby were his clothes, worse than those of any of the monks, that several people were misled and did not recognize him. One day a man from a nearby village came to visit him, asking, "Where is Sergius? Where is the wonderful and famous man?" The Saint came in from the garden where he had been digging, his attire patched and in holes, his face covered with sweat; but the visitor refused to believe that this was he of whom he had heard. "I came to see a prophet and you point out to me a needy-looking beggar. I see no glory, no majesty and honor about him." The brethren wished to send the man away, but the Saint, seeing their confusion, said, "Do not do so, brethren; for he did not come to see you. He came to visit me." And the Saint went and bowed low before the visitor, blessing and praising him for his right judgement. The visitor, placed at table at the Abbot's right hand, continued to express his regret at not seeing Sergius, the famous man. The Saint remarked, "Be not sad about it, for such is God's grace that no one ever leaves this place with a heavy heart."


St. Sergius feeding the bear


As he spoke a neighboring prince arrived. The prince's armed attendants forcibly removed the visitor, and the prince then came forward and prostrated himself before Sergius. The Saint gave him his blessing, and they both sat down while everyone else remained standing. The visitor thrust his way through and asked one of those standing by, "Who is the monk sitting on the prince's right hand?" On learning that it was Sergius, he was overcome with remorse, and after the prince's departure he went and prostrated himself at the Abbot's feet and begged his forgiveness. The Saint readily forgave him and blessed him. The man departed with firm faith in the Holy Trinity and in St. Sergius, later returning to the monastery to end his days there as a monk.

Many were the miracles which God performed through His chosen one. Owing to lack of sufficient water near the monastery, the brotherhood suffered great discomfort, which increased with their numbers and with having to carry water from a distance. Some of the monks complained to the Abbot, asking him why he had not built his monastery near water. The Saint told them, "I intended to worship and pray in this place alone. But God willed that a monastery such as this, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, should arise."

Going to a ravine below the monastery, he found a small pool of rainwater. He knelt down and prayed, and when he made the sign of the Cross over the spot, a bubbling spring arose which may be seen to this day, and from which water is drawn to supply the monastery. Many cures have been granted to the faithful from the waters; and people have come from long distances to get water to take to their sick to drink.

A certain devout Christian living near the monastery brought his sick son to the Saint and begged him to pray for him. The son died while the man was talking to the Saint. While the grief-stricken father went to prepare a grave, the Saint knelt and prayed over the dead child, and he was restored to life. The father, finding his child alive, fell at the Saint's feet and thanked him.

A long way from the monastery there lived a man possessed by demons. His relatives brought him to the monastery in chains so that St. Sergius might pray for him. The brethren sang a moleben for him, and he grew gradually calmer. When the Saint came out of the church carrying a Cross, the sufferer fled from the spot with a loud cry and flung himself into a pool of rainwater nearby, crying, "O horrible, O terrible flame!" By the grace of God and the Saint's prayers he recovered and was restored to his right mind. When he was asked what he meant by his exclamation, he said, "When the Saint wanted to bless me with the Cross, I saw a great flame proceeding from him, and it seized me. So I threw myself into the water, fearing that I should be consumed in the flame."


At the upper left, the Saint prepares prosphora. To the right, he celebrates the Divine Liturgy for his monastic brethren.


It happened late one night, the Saint, in accordance with his usual rule, was keeping vigil and praying for the brotherhood when he heard avoice calling, "Sergius." He was astonished, and opening the win dow of his cell he beheld a marvellous vision. A great radiance shone in the heavens; the night sky was illumined by its brilliance, exceeding the light of day. A second time the voice called, "Sergius! You pray for your children; God has heard your prayer. Behold great numbers of monks gathered together in the Name of the Everlasting Trinity, in your fold, and under your guidance."

The Saint looked and beheld a multitude of beautiful birds flying not only to the monastery, but all around the monastery; and he heard a voice say, "As many birds as you see, by so many will your flock of disciples increase; and after your time they will not grow less if they will follow in your footsteps."

One day some Greeks arrived from Constantinople, bringing gifts and a letter from the Patriarch. The Saint took the letter to the Metropolitan, Alexis, who ordered it to be read to him. The Patriarch wrote that he had heard of Sergius and his holy life, and he directed him to found a coenobitic community. The Metropolitan approved, and from henceforth life on the basis of community was established in the monastery, with all things possessed in common, and no monk holding property of his own.

Soon dissension arose; the devil, hating goodness, caused some to dispute the authority of St. Sergius. Hearing this, the Saint quietly left and, with the aid of St. Stephen, Abbot of the Makhrish Monastery, found a beautiful deserted spot near the river Kirzhach.

The brotherhood, when it found out, began visiting him in twos and threes. St. Sergius asked and received permission from Metropolitan Alexis to build a church, and many brethren gathered there.

Soon several monks from the Holy Trinity Monastery, unable to bear any longer the separation from their spiritual father, went to the Metropolitan and begged him to command St. Sergius to return to them. He did so, and the Saint obeyed without complaint. The Metropolitan, glad at his prompt obedience, sent a priest to consecrate the new church which St. Sergius had built, in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Saint elected one of his followers, Roman, to be the abbot of the new monastery, and sent him to the Metropolitan to be raised to the priesthood. He himself returned to his own monastery, to the great rejoicing of the whole brotherhood.

Once St. Stephen, Bishop of Perm, who had for St. Sergius a great spiritual affection, was travelling from Perm to Moscow, along a road which lay about seven miles from St. Sergius' monastery. When the godly bishop came opposite the monastery he stopped, bowed low in that direction, and said, "Peace be with you, brother in God!" The Saint, at this hour, was seated at supper with his brethren. Suddenly he rose from the table, stood for a moment in prayer, then bowed and said aloud, "Be joyful, shepherd of Christ's flock; the peace of God be always with you." At the end of supper he told his inquiring disciples, "At that hour Bishop Stephen, on his way to Moscow, did reverence to the Holy Trinity and blessed us humble folk."

One time, when Stephen, the Saint's brother, and his son Theodore were serving Divine Liturgy with St. Sergius, some of the brethren saw a fourth person with a bright, shining appearance and dazzling apparel, standing at the altar with them. When asked after the Liturgy, the Saint at first denied that anyone else had been present. But at their insistence he said, "Beloved brethren, what the Lord has revealed can I keep secret? He whom you beheld was an angel of the Lord, and not only this time but every time I, unworthy as I am, serve with this messenger of the Lord." And his disciples were astonished beyond measure.

When the heathen Tatar hordes were preparing to invade Russian soil, St. Sergius blessed the Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy to go to war and conquer them. Facing the Tatar multitudes in the Field of Kulikovo, the Grand Duke and his followers began to doubt and fear, but at that moment a courier arrived from the Saint, who assured them that God was on their side; and the Russian armies fought boldly and conquered.

The Saint saw this battle with his spiritual eyes and the whole brotherhood prayed for victory at that hour. The Saint, by spiritual vision, announced the victory within an hour of its occurrence, and prayed by name for those who had fallen. When the Grand Duke returned he hastened to give thanks for the Saint's prayers, gave a rich offering to the monastery, and, in fulfillment of a vow made to the Saint, established a monastery for which St. Sergius appointed an abbot.

The Metropolitan Alexis, being old, sent for St. Sergius and tried to persuade him to become his successor. Despite much urging by the Metropolitan, the Saint, unyielding in his humility, continued to refuse the honor, and he was allowed to return to his monastery. When Metropolitan Alexis died shortly thereafter, the princes tried once more to persuade the Saint to accept the rank of bishop, but he was adamant in his refusal.

One day the blessed Father was praying, as was his custom, before the icon of the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having sung the Akathist of the Blessed Virgin, he sat down to rest a while, saying to his disciple Micah, "Son, be calm and be bold, for a wonderful and fearful event is about to happen." Suddenly a voice was heard, "The Blessed Virgin is coming." Hearing this the Saint hurried from his cell into the corridor. A dazzling radiance shone upon him, brighter than the sun, and he beheld the Blessed Virgin, with two Apostles, Peter and John, in ineffable glory. Unable to bear so resplendent a vision, the Saint fell to the ground. The Blessed Virgin, touching him with Her hand, said, "Be not afraid, Mine own elect, I have come to visit you. Your prayers for your disciples and for your monastery have been heard. Be not troubled; from henceforth it will flourish, not only during your lifetime but when you depart to the Lord. I will be with your monastery, supplying its needs lavishly, providing for it, protecting it."

Having thus spoken, She vanished. The Saint remained in trembling awe and wonder. Returning slowly to his senses, he raised up his terrified disciple; but the latter flung himself down at the elder's feet, saying, "Tell me, father, for God's sake what miraculous vision was this?" The Saint, so filled with joy that his face glowed, could answer only a few words: "Wait a while, son, for I too am trembling with awe and wonder at this miraculous vision." He stood, wrapped in wonder, until finally he said, "Son, call hither Isaac and Simon." When these two came he recounted to them all that had happened, how he had beheld the Blessed Virgin with the Apostles, and what a wonderful promise She had given him. Hearing this their hearts were filled with indescribable joy, and they all sang a moleben to the Mother of God and glorified God. All night the Saint remained in thought on this indescribable vision.

One day the Saint was serving the Divine Liturgy with one of his disciples, venerable Simon, when the latter saw a flame pass along the altar, surrounding and illuminating it; as the Saint was about to partake of the Blessed Sacrament the glorious flame coiled itself and entered the sacred chalice, and the Saint thus received Holy Communion. Simon trembled with fear. The Saint, seeing that Simon had been deemed worthy of this miraculous vision, forbade him to speak of it: "Tell no one of this that you have seen, until the Lord calls me away from this life."

Continually chastening himself with fasting, working unceasingly, performing many unfathomable miracles, the Saint reached an advanced age, never failing from his place at Divine service; the older his body grew, the stronger grew his fervor, in no way weakened by age. He became aware of his approaching end six months before, and assembling the brotherhood he appointed his dearest disciple, Nikon, to take his place. The great ascetic soon began to lose strength, and in September was taken seriously ill. Seeing his end, he again assembled his flock and delivered a final exhortation. He made them promise to be steadfast in Orthodoxy and to preserve amity among men; to keep pure in body and soul; to love truth; to avoid all evil and carnal lusts; to be moderate in food and drink; above all, to be clothed with humility; not to forget love of their neighbor; to avoid controversy, and on no account to set value on honor and praise in this life, but rather to await reward from God for the joys of heaven and eternal blessings. Having instructed them in many things, he concluded, "I am, by God's will, about to leave you, and I commit you to Almighty God and the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, that they may be to you a Refuge and Rock of Defense against the snares of your enemies." As his soul was about to leave his body, he partook of the Sacred Body and Blood, supported in the arms of his disciples and, raising his hands to heaven, with a prayer on his lips, he surrendered his pure, holy soul to the Lord, in the year 1392, on September 25, being 78 years of age. After his death the Saint's body gave off an ineffable sweet fragrance.

The entire brotherhood gathered around him and, weeping and sobbing, laid on its bier the body of him who in life had been so noble and unresting, and accompanied him with psalms and funeral prayers. His body was laid to rest within the monastery of his own foundation. Many were the miracles that took place at his death and afterwards, and still are taking place. The Saint had no wish for renown, either during his life or in death, but by God's Almighty Power he was glorified. Amen.